April O'Neil / news@WHMI.com

The Ingham County Road Department (ICRD) has received $37,931 in grant money from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy as part of an initiative to develop new markets for used vehicle tires.

The grant will fund the ICRD road rehabilitation project on Fitchburg Road (from Parman Road to 4,000 feet west), including the installation of approximately 5,510 cubic yards of tire-derived aggregate (TDA) in a 750-foot span of the project.

As a method of recycling, TDA is a lightweight filler soil that will utilize approximately 250,000 passenger tires in the ICRD project.

The total amount granted for completion of the project is $487,931, granted back in 2021. However, previous funding for the project could not be completed at the time due to supply chain issues.

The EGLE announced total funding of more than $2 million in Michigan to develop new markets for used vehicle tires and prevent the likelihood of illegal dumping. Wrongful discarding of scrap tires is not only an environmental risk, but poses both a fire hazard and a human health risk as a mosquito breeding ground.

According to the EGLE, the grants contribute to a more sustainable business model for the scrap tire industry through increased market opportunities for scrap tire processors, end users, and manufacturers.