Man on Trial After Illegally-Stored Tyres Burn

A US man who supervised the illegal storage of 40,000 tyres has gone on trial following a fire that burned for over 24 hours and took millions of gallons of water to put out in May 2006. Rick Handley of Alabama is answering to the prosecution, which argues that the tyres were stored illegally for a company called US Tire Recovery.

The organisation bought used tyres in bulk, separating those that could be resold and stacking others in the warehouse facility. Handley had been ordered to stop this practice of stockpiling in November 2005, while he never applied for the proper permit required by the Solid Waste Management Act.

The defence argues that Handley is not the registered business owner, and should not therefore have to answer to the charges. It was also mentioned that the company wanted to recycle the tyres, and was preparing to purchase a recycling machine to turn them into rubber pellets, while the Department of Environmental Protection wanted US Tire Recovery to bury the waste products in a landfill. The trial is set to continue later today.