PRESS RELEASE
from the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy

For more information,contact
Carla Felix (402) 471-4223,
Amanda Woita (402) 471-4243,
Nathanael Urie (402) 471-4245, or
For Immediate Release
May 22, 2009

Over $2.5 Million Awarded For Tire Collection, Recycling Projects


Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Director Mike Linder announced today that the state is awarding more than $2.5 million to support 126 tire recycling and cleanup projects across the state.

"Nebraskans pay a $1 fee for every new tire they purchase," said Linder. "These grants put that money into use locally to help manage scrap tires. We like to see the highest possible beneficial use of these old tires, and these projects help us reach that goal."

Nebraskans generate over one and a half million scrap tires each year, about one tire for every person in the state. The grants awarded today will help to clean up approximately 1,160,000 scrap tires through local collection events, will reimburse individuals and organizations for crumb rubber and equipment purchases, and will help prevent public health and environmental problems by eliminating tire piles, Linder said.

The grants are part of the Waste Reduction and Recycling Grants program, which is administered by the Department of Environmental Quality. The grants support both the collection of scrap tires and the purchase of new tire-derived products. 2009 grant recipients include:
  • Keep Alliance Beautiful – awarded $6,699 to pay 50% of the cost of approximately 40,000 lbs. of landscaping mulch made from recycled scrap tires. This is a continuation of a program started in 2007 for local homeowners and organizations to purchase landscaping mulch in bulk.
  • Morrill Public Schools – awarded $20,805 to pay 25% of the cost of an athletic track surface made from approximately 80,000 lbs. of crumb rubber made from recycled scrap tires.
  • Omaha Public Schools – Northwest High School – awarded $67,295 to pay 25% of the cost of an artificial turf football field made from approximately 40-45,000 recycled scrap tires.
  • Nebraska Department of Roads – awarded $388,927 to pay for the partial cost of using rubber-modified asphalt at three locations: 1.27 miles on Hwy. 43 at Bennet, recycling the equivalent of 1,515 passenger tires, 11.28 miles on Hwy. 91 at Leigh, recycling the equivalent of 32,871 passenger tires, and 8.5 miles on Hwy. 159 at Rulo, recycling the equivalent of 6,376 passenger tires. These projects will continue the Department of Roads’ evaluation of this type of asphalt on Nebraska roadways.
  • Local scrap tire collection events – awarded $1,146,444 to conduct scrap tire collections. Sixty political subdivisions will hold scrap tire collection cleanups this year. Funds have been made available to clean up 11,605 tons of scrap tires from individuals, farms, and businesses. The tires will be converted into crumb rubber for playground surfaces, running tracks, artificial turf surfaces, and rubber-modified asphalt. They will also be processed into shreds for daily cover at landfills, and for use in leachate collection systems and around septic tank laterals. Other scrap tires will be hauled to scrap tire landfills outside of Nebraska.

Below is a listing of the 2009 Waste Reduction and Recycling Tire Grants.

Applicant Name
Project Description
Amount Awarded
Ainsworth, City of
100-ton scrap tire cleanup
$12,096.00
Ainsworth Community Schools
25% reimb of athletic running track
$17,740.80
Albion, City of
25% reimb border timbers;50% reimb cr rubber
$5,122.83
Antelope County Resource Center(Neligh)
25% reimb border blocks;50% reimb cr rubber
$2,125.75
Atkinson, City of
300-ton scrap tire cleanup
$32,561.00
Aurora Public Schools (Aurora)
25% reimb of playground mats
$8,393.14
Banner County (Harrisburg)
100-ton scrap tire cleanup
$11,388.00
Bassett, City of/Rock County
100-ton scrap tire cleanup
$12,108.00
Beaver Lake Assn. (Plattsmouth)
50% reimb of crumb rubber for playground
$650.71
Bellevue, City of
100-ton scrap tire cleanup
$9,600.00
Bruckman Rubber Co. (Hastings)
50% reimb of manufacturing crumb rubber
$885.13
Butte, Village of
300-ton scrap tire cleanup
$32,520.00
Calvary Lutheran School (Scottsbluff)
50% reimb of crumb rubber for playground
$1,115.00
Caspers Construction Co. (Beatrice)
50% reimb of crumb rubber(miltary firing range)
$3,013.60
Cass County Dept. of Roads(Plattsmouth)
250-ton scrap tire cleanup
$25,024.00
Cedar County (Hartington)
125-ton scrap tire cleanup
$12,623.00
Cedar Rapids, Village of
50% reimb of crumb rubber for playground
$5,225.00
Chase County (Imperial)
250-ton scrap tire cleanup
$24,828.00
Chase County Schools (Imperial)
50% reimb of crumb rubber on natural grass
$14,220.00
Columbus, City of (Pub Works/Envirnmnt)
250-ton scrap tire cleanup
$22,750.00
Dakota County Road Dept. (Hubbard)
100-ton scrap tire cleanup
$10,654.00
David City, City of
350-ton scrap tire cleanup
$28,815.00
Dixon County (Ponca)
100-ton scrap tire cleanup
$10,296.00
Eagle Elementary School (Eagle)
25% reimb mats/50% reimb of crumb rubber
$4,521.42
Faith Lutheran School (Lincoln)
50% reimb of playground crumb rubber
$352.00
Fort Calhoun Elementary (Ft. Calhoun)
50% reimb of playground crumb rubber
$2,675.00
Franklin, City of(Franklin,Harlan/Webster)
200-ton scrap tire cleanup (3 counties)
$18,362.00
Freeman Public School (Adams)
50% reimb of playground crumb rubber
$1,984.00
Fremont, City of
350-ton scrap tire cleanup
$31,102.00
Frontier County (Stockville)
250-ton scrap tire cleanup
$24,828.00
Geneva, City of (Cumberland Mini Park)
50% reimb of playground crumb rubber
$3,530.00
George Stone Elem School (Lincoln)
25% reimb of park bench/recycled tires
$49.75
Gethsemane Lutheran Church (Omaha)
50% reimb of playground crumb rubber
$2,237.50
Gibbon Pubilc Schools (Gibbon)
25% reimb timbers/mats;50% reimb crumb rubber
$11,227.99
Golden Child Developmnt Centr (Mitchell)
50% reimb of playground crumb rubber
$7,454.00
Gordon Elementary School (Gordon)
50% reimb of playground crumb rubber
$1,911.50
Gordon Elementary School (Gordon)
50% reimb of playground crumb rubber
$2,362.16
Gordon Elementary School (Gordon)
25% reimb timbers/mats;50% reimb crumb rubber
$5,942.95
Gothenburg Child Care Inc.(Gothenburg)
50% reimb of playground crumb rubber
$2,120.00
Grant, City of
50% reimb of playground crumb rubber
$3,865.00
Hall County Highway Dept. (Grand Island)
150-ton scrap tire cleanup
$15,733.00
City of Hastings-Solid Waste Dept.
425-ton scrap tire cleanup
$39,507.00
Head Start Child & Family Devel(Hastings)
25% reimb repairs to playground surfacing
$1,116.95
Heartland Community School (Henderson)
25% reimb of athletic running track surface
$21,287.45
City of Holdrege
300-ton scrap tire cleanup
$29,552.00
City of Kearney
300-ton scrap tire cleanup
$27,600.00
Kearney County (Minden)
200-ton scrap tire cleanup
$17,988.00
Keep Alliance Beautiful, Inc. (Alliance)
50% reimb of landscaping crumb rubber
$6,699.25
Keep Schuyler Beautiful (Schuyler)
25% reimb of park benches from recycled tires
$223.50
Keith County (Ogallala)
150-ton scrap tire cleanup
$14,962.50
Kenesaw Public School
25% reimb of athletic running track surface
$20,694.25
Keya Paha County Schools (Springview)
50% reimb of playground crumb rubber
$4,425.00
Kimball, City of Landfill
180-ton scrap tire cleanup
$20,070.00
Kingery, Bradley (Nebraska City)
50% reimb of playground crumb rubber
$144.95
Knox County (Center)
100-ton scrap tire cleanup
$11,610.00
Lexington Public Schools (Lexington)
50% reimb of playground crumb rubber
$21,240.00
Lexington,City of(Dawson,Gosper,Custer)
125-ton scrap tire (3 counties)
$12,835.00
Lincoln Action Program (Lincoln)
25% reimb mats/50% reimb crumb rubber
$3,807.06
Lincoln Parks & Recreation (Lincoln)
25% reimb of playground mats
$4,587.05
Lower Elkhorn NRD (Clarkson)
100-ton scrap tire cleanup
$9,598.00
Lower Elkhorn NRD (Pilger)
100-ton scrap tire cleanup
$9,598.00
Lower Elkhorn NRD (Norfolk)
300-ton scrap tire cleanup
$28,296.00
Lower Loup NRD (Albion)
100-ton scrap tire cleanup
$9,796.00
Lower Loup NRD (Fullerton)
50-ton scrap tire cleanup
$5,196.00
Lower Loup NRD (Genoa)
50-ton scrap tire cleanup
$5,196.00
Lower Loup NRD (Ord) (9 counties)
250-ton scrap tire cleanup
$25,278.00
Lower Platte North NRD (Platte Center)
150-ton scrap tire cleanup
$14,396.00
Madrid, Village of
250-ton scrap tire cleanup
$25,190.00
Marth, Missy (Nebraska City)
50% reimb of playground crumb rubber
$422.00
Merrick County Hwy. Dept. (Central City)
100-ton scrap tire cleanup
$9,634.80
Morrill Public Schools (Morrill)
25% reimb of athletic running track surface
$20,805.38
Moyer, Joshua (Plattsmouth)
50% reimb of playground crumb rubber
$446.00
Mullen, Village of
35-ton scrap tire cleanup
$4,610.00
Nebraska City Public Schools (Nebr City)
25% reimb of artificial turf - D zones
$17,025.52
Nemaha County (Auburn)
100-ton scrap tire cleanup
$10,461.50
North Platte, City of
250-ton scrap tire cleanup
$25,306.00
Nuckolls County (Nelson)
200-ton scrap tire cleanup
$17,050.00
Odell Area Community Enrichment(Odell)
50% reimb of playground crumb rubber
$3,390.00
Omaha, City of (neighborhood cleanups)
135-ton scrap tire cleanup
$12,766.00
Omaha Public Schools - Benson HS
25% reimb of football field artificial turf
$74,537.61
Omaha Public Schools - Bryan HS
25% reimb of football field artificial turf
$76,778.12
Omaha Public Schools - Burke HS
25% reimb of football field artificial turf
$45,459.75
Omaha Public Schools - Northwest HS
25% reimb of football field artificial turf
$67,295.00
Omaha Public Schools - Northwest HS
25% reimb of athletic running track
$99,585.45
Omaha Public Schools - South HS
25% reimb of athletic running track
$65,000.00
Omaha Public Schools - South HS
25% reimb of football field artificial turf
$81,750.00
Orleans, Village of
225-ton scrap tire cleanup (3 sites)
$20,905.00
Otoe County (Nebraska City)
500-ton scrap tire cleanup (3 sites)
$47,056.00
Papio-Missouri River NRD(Omaha)
465-ton scrap tire cleanup
$44,439.00
Pawnee County (Pawnee City)
55-ton scrap tire cleanup
$5,948.00
Peace Lutheran Church (Deshler)
50% reimb of playground crumb rubber
$710.00
Pierce County (Pierce)
85-ton scrap tire cleanup
$8,670.00
Ravenna, City of
50% reimb of playground crumb rubber
$2,600.00
Richardson County (Falls City)
125-ton scrap tire cleanup
$13,356.00
Roncalli Catholic High School (Omaha)
25% reimb of athletic running track
$17,520.00
Rosewood Academy Preschool (Omaha)
25% reimb border blocks/50% crumb rubber
$661.66
St. Joseph Catholic Church (Beatrice)
25% reimb of benches made from recycled tires
$442.50
St. Paul, City of
45-ton scrap tire cleanup
$4,639.00
Saline County (Wilber)
250-ton scrap tire cleanup
$22,580.00
Sanitary ImproveDist#6-Lanc Co-Emerald
600-ton scrap tire cleanup
$56,300.00
Saunders County (Wahoo - 4 sites)
250-ton scrap tire cleanup
$23,528.00
Schuyler, City of
125-ton scrap tire cleanup
$11,719.00
Schuyler Community Schools (Schuyler)
50% reimb of playground crumb rubber
$25,670.00
Scotts Bluff Co. Health Dept. (Scottsbluff)
400-ton scrap tire cleanup
$42,804.00
Seward County (Seward)
300-ton scrap tire cleanup
$26,848.00
Seward Public School (Seward)
25% reimb of athletic running track
$27,731.52
Sidney, City of
300-ton scrap tire cleanup
$36,786.00
Solid Waste Agency NW Nebr(Chadron)
60-ton scrap tire cleanup
$8,227.00
Southern Valley Schools Dist #40-Oxford
50% reimb of playground crumb rubber
$14,497.66
Stapleton, Village of
200-ton scrap tire cleanup
$20,700.00
State of Nebr-Dept of Roads (Bennet)
Delta cost 1.27 mi rubber modified asphalt
$34,409.00
State of Nebr-Dept of Roads (Leigh)
Delta cost 11.28 mi rubber modified asphalt
$246,118.00
State of Nebr-Dept of Roads (Rulo)
Delta cost 8.5 mi rubber modified asphalt
$108,400.00
Sterling, Village of
10-ton scrap tire cleanup
$995.00
Thedford, Village of
35-ton scrap tire cleanup
$4,040.00
Theiler, Jesse (Bennet)
50% reimb of playground crumb rubber
$223.60
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
25% reimb of soccer field artificial turf
$101,875.00
University of Nebraska-Omaha
25% reimb of top-dressing artificial turf
$11,765.00
Valley, City of
100-ton scrap tire cleanup
$11,250.00
Wahoo Pubic Schools (Wahoo)
25% reimb of athletic running track
$19,858.50
Wakefield Public School (Wakefield)
25% reimb of athletic running track
$20,159.25
Wausa Public Schools (Wausa)
25% reimb of playground mats
$5,123.00
Wayne County (Wayne)
150-ton scrap tire cleanup
$13,870.00
Wee Wisdom Christian Preschool-Lincoln
25% reimb of playground mats
$1,650.00
Wood River Rural Schools (Wood River)
25% reimb of athletic running track
$20,906.61
Zac's Place Child Care Center (Lincoln)
50% reimb of playground crumb rubber freight
$553.42