EPA, Houston police praise Firestone tire disposal

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Sept. 21)—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Houston Police Department have praised Bridgestone/Firestone Inc.´s scrap tire management practices in its recall of 6.5 million Firestone ATX, ATX II and Wilderness AT tires. Karl Bremer, chief of the Region 5 Waste Management Branch of the EPA lauded the company´s ``Recalled Scrap Tire Management Plan´´ factsheet, saying ``sharing this information with environmental regulators throughout the U.S. will undoubtedly help clear up any misunderstandings that may result from such a massive effort.´´ Similarly, Sgt. Michael Walsh of the Houston Police Department´s Environmental Investigation Unit praised the efforts of Firestone Tire and Service Parts Centers in the region as being ``squeeky clean,´´ knowing who would be collecting scrap tires and how they would be managed and keeping high-quality records of the disposal efforts, the tire maker reported. ``The non-Firestone facilities that were investigated in conjunction with this project couldn´t hold a candle to Firestone´s facilities,´´ Walsh said. Last week, Bridgestone/Firestone introduced its Used Tire Return Program, under which used tire resellers will recieve $10 for each recalled tire shredded or returned to Bridgestone/Firestone for disposal.