US Tyre Burning to Go Ahead Despite Protests

Despite a bitter campaign of environmental protests, the US Environmental Protection Agency looks set to grant approval for a paper mill in Vermont to conduct a two-week trial, burning shredded tyres as fuel.

The company estimates that it could save up to $3.8 million a year by burning 72 tonnes of tyres a day, but environmentalists are concerned over possible health hazards and have pledged to continue their campaign.

It is estimated that the USA produces around 290 million scrap tyres annually, of which 140 million are disposed of as tyre-derived fuel. This is six times the number disposed of by this method in 1990.