April 16, 2008

April 20-26, 2008, is National Tire Safety Week, and the Department of Environmental Quality is urging Michigan residents to properly maintain tires by checking their inflation pressure at least once per month and before long trips, routinely checking wheel alignment, rotating tires every 5,000-8,000 miles, and checking tire treads regularly.

According to reports, maintaining a car's proper tire pressure will increase the fuel mileage of our cars and save up to two billion gallons of gasoline a year across the country. Also, routine tire maintenance helps the environment and saves by extending the life of a tire and reducing the number of scrap tires generated.

Whole tires are currently banned from disposal in Michigan landfills, however, tires can be returned to a tire retailer or taken directly to a tire recycler or processor. A list of tire recyclers and processors is available online at www.michigan.gov/deqwaste (Click on "Scrap Tires" and click on "Tire Disposal Options").

For more information about tire safety and proper tire disposal, please refer to the DEQ Web page 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 April 16, 2008 by Pat Watson