Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Regional Solid Waste District Strikes Tire Disposal Deal

Getting rid of tires is a headache for counties across Arkansas.

However, the Upper Southwest Regional Solid Waste District joined with the Southwest Regional Solid Waste District in an effort to make disposing of tires easier for both districts.

The agreement was reached Friday, Jan. 26 during the regular monthly meeting of the Upper Southwest group in Nashville.

Nevada County is a member of this solid waste district.

The district had taken bids on its tires to see what would be the most economical route to dispose of the tires.

After getting a bid for $100 a ton from TireCo, Inc., the board decided to join with the Southwest Regional Solid Waste District in selling their tires to MidSouth Reclamation of Stamps.

Mitch Noble, with the SWRSWD, said they would take all of the district's tires for 90 percent of what they sell for. He said they would bring trailers to different locations to be loaded.

The locations will be decided at a later time.

Part of the reason the Upper Southwest District agreed to participate in the joint effort is because the SWRSWD already has a deal with MidSouth.

According to Joe Ball, the director of Upper Southwest, this creates an entity for the collection and disposal of tires. This entity, he said, will receive the monies generated and use the funds to operate on.

"It's a good deal for us," he said to the Upper Southwest board.

In addition, Ball said the Arkansas Department of Pollution Control and Ecology agrees this is a good arrangement.

The SWRSWD board is to approve the resolution creating the new entity this week.

Ball said the new venture will be in effect as of Feb. 1, 1996.

Members of both district boards will oversee the operation of the tire disposal unit.

Ball said all solid waste districts are currently at the mercy of tire recyclers, but the joint venture will give both districts more leverage with them. The new venture covers a 15 county area.

"It serves the best interests of both districts to join together," Ball said. "The sites will have to be selected, and we'll have to work with the tire dealers to get the tires stacked in trailers.

"But by joining together," Ball continued, "we will have a more uniform system and be a unified force. It's also more economically feasible to operate."

Forty-five foot trailers will be placed at the various collection sites to be filled with the old tires.

In other business, the board was informed a paper company owes the district $125,000 for paper sold to it for recycling, with payment expected in the next three weeks.

Ball said the district's recycling effort is going well, and is producing more paper than ever. However, the district is also having to hold onto the paper at this time because prices have plummeted.

Currently, white paper is selling for $265 per ton, down from $600 a ton. Cardboard sells for about $50 per ton.

"We're sitting on the cardboard waiting for prices to go up," Ball said. "We have 150 bales."

The district may get some relief from a new paper recycling plant being built in Mansfield, La. Ball said it could create more demand for cardboard and will be close to the district.

The board learned the district is over budget on payroll. This is because, as Ball said, when trash comes in it must be dealt with. Otherwise, he said, the district could be fined by the PC&E.

Ball said the landfill crew is in the middle of extending phase I and hopes to get liners installed soon.

However, he said, they must wait on a weather window because the company that installs liners begins charging from the time they arrive at the landfill and count their down time due to weather problems.

Because of this, Ball continued, the district is waiting for a predicted two clear days so the lining can be done. He told the panel the job can be completed in two days, if the weather cooperates.

The Upper Southwest Regional Solid Waste District is composed of Nevada, Little River, Sevier, Polk, Howard, Hempstead, Montgomery and Lafayette counties.