County leaders are still researching options for tire disposal but said they anticipate changing the current policy in some way.
Commissioners have been weighing options for waste tire disposal after Public Works director Mitch Garner and an engineer reported the landfill has nearly reached its limit for tire collection. Most of that comes from FMS/United Tire, a tire recycling company owned by Shane Lamb of DeSoto.
The county asked Lamb to stop dumping tire waste at the landfill until the matter is resolved.
Between February and July, United Tire dumped nearly 2,000 tons of shredded tires. The next largest customer dumped just 67 tons in the same time period.
Garner also noted United Tire, located in Allen County, pays a county rate of $5.50 per ton. Tires from outside the county are charged $130 per ton.
Commissioner Jerry Daniels said the policy that lays out those charges predates Garner, but he assumes the large difference in charges was intended to deter out-of-county customers from dumping tires at the landfill in order to minimize the amount collected.
Garner has been researching how other landfills collect and charge for tire collection.
Meanwhile, commissioners agreed to pursue options to create a “monofill” at the landfill property that would be designated for tire collection. It does not need to meet stringent environmental concerns and it’s better to keep tires separated from other waste, an engineer reported.
Commissioner Bruce Symes said he supports some sort of plan that would limit or set a different fee structure based on the amount of tires dumped. He said he did not blame Lamb for the problem but the current situation is not sustainable.
“We can’t continue to accept the quantity of tires from outside Allen County while trying to be a good manager of our landfill,” he said.
Lamb’s business is at the site of the former Lehigh Cement Plant on the south side of Iola.
Symes said he supports establishing a monofill site as well as a policy change, something fellow commissioners echoed.
The landfill will need to obtain a permit from the state before setting up a monofill site.
He also noted the state requires tires be shredded a certain way, and landfill crews will begin inspecting and rejecting tires that don’t meet those specifications. If the landfill allows tires that are not properly shredded, the state could fine or shut down the landfill.
Garner also plans to set aside a place to dump electronic equipment but will need a permit for that, too. Lithium ion batteries found in rechargeable electronics such as computers, phones and even toys are more likely to start a fire and should be kept out of regular garbage.
