January 15, 2008

Department of Environmental Quality Director Steven E. Chester announced today that grants totaling $3.9 million have been awarded for the complete cleanup of 44 scrap tire sites and partial cleanup of 2 scrap tire sites in order to reduce potential public health and environmental concerns associated with them. This funding will protect the health of these communities, cleaning up more than 3.9 million passenger tire equivalents (PTEs), a measure used to account for different weights and sizes of tires that may be present at a cleanup site.

The grantees will have until August 31, 2008, to complete contract requirements for having the tires removed and processed in accordance with a DEQ-approved tire removal plan.

Following is a list of the approved grantees:

Grantee                                        County        Amount        PTEs

Andersen, Candance                   Muskegon         $6,000         6,000
Birner, James                             Van Buren         $3,000         3,000
Bull, Barbara                                  Oceana         $6,500         6,500
Burns, James                                 Oceana       $20,000       20,000
Bush, Emma B.                            Genesee         $1,100         1,100
Coles Auto Repair & Salvage         Newaygo         $7,500         5,000
Davis, Nick L.                              Montcalm         $6,000         6,000
Delta Conservation District         Menominee       $10,184          3,565
Detroit, City of                                 Wayne       $22,995        22,995
Donahue, Melvin                             Midland         $1,310         1,310
Draggoo, Clayton                            Oceana       $22,500       15,000
Economy Auto Parts                   Muskegon       $10,500         7,000
Egelston Township-Apple Ave.     Muskegon         $9,000         6,000 
Egelston Township-Sullivan Rd.    Muskegon         $6,000         6,000
England Auto Parts                     Muskegon       $10,000       10,000
Engstrom, Todd                            Newaygo         $2,500         2,500
Erwin Township                             Gogebic        $57,279       22,375
George's Body Shop                    Mackinac         $8,410         7,300
Hoerner, Richard C.                        Saginaw        $5,500         5,500
Jennings, Sarah                              Allegan       $10,000        10,000
Kiersey, James & Ervin Neill           Hillsdale     $126,525      126,500
Kirschner, June                         Menominee        $5,227          1,370
Lugg, Theresa                                Oakland      $13,000        13,000
M-66 Auto, Inc.                              Osceola     $500,000      500,000 
Manigg Enterprises                          Alpena       $99,750       95,000
MDNR-Forest, Mineral, &
   Fire Mgmt. Div.                Clare & Wexford           $998           998
MDNR-Waterloo                              Jackson        $2,080        2,050
Mecosta County                             Mecosta     $735,300    700,000
Menominee Township                 Menominee       $42,835      13,225
Myers, Burtis L., Jr.                       Newaygo       $50,000      50,000
Oceana Auto Parts & Towing            Oceana       $15,000      15,000
Osceola County                              Osceola  $1,617,054  1,619,554
Peters, Becky                                     Ionia       $25,000       25,000
Pontiac, City of                               Oakland           $478           478
Prairieville Township                            Barry     $150,000     150,000
Purdy Tractor & Equipment Inc.        Hillsdale      $14,050      14,000
Sauk Trail Landfill/Allied Waste          Wayne       $65,500      65,500
Slawinski, Brian                             Manistee       $10,150      10,150
Sonntag, Albert H.                              Huron         $8,200        8,200
South Newkirk Township                       Lake       $78,275      78,250
Tarpon Financial, Inc.                    Montcalm         $7,500        4,500
Thacker, Rick                                      Ionia          $7,000       7,000
Trolz, James R.                               Jackson       $34,800      34,800
Watertown Township                        Tuscola         $7,500        7,500
Webster, Wayne R.                         Oceana         $7,500        7,500
Wheeler, Evelyn                              Saginaw       $50,000      50,000

Questions regarding this program ce sent to the Scrap Tire Regulatory Program, Waste and Hazardous Materials Division, DEQ, P.O. Box 30241, Lansing, Michigan 48909-7741, at 517-241-2924; or contact Rhonda Oyer Zimmerman at 517-373-4750 or by e-mail at oyerr@michigan.gov.

Editor's note: DEQ news releases are available on the department's Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

"Protecting Michigan's Environment, Ensuring Michigan's Future"

Revised January 15, 2008 by Linda Crawford