Marketplace Today Blog

By Meg Jones
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A Marinette County tire recycling firm has been fined $35,000 by the state for accepting too many tires and operating an unlicensed facility.

American Tire & Recycling Corp. agreed to make changes at its tire processing facility in Niagara where state investigators discovered the company had accepted more than the 33,600 waste tires it is allowed. Waste tires were stored outside an approved area, were too close to buildings and were not processed within four days.

The company also processed and stored waste tires at an unlicensed facility in New London that was closed after an inspection by Department of Natural Resources officials in January. As part of the settlement, American Tire & Recycling Corp. will begin processing the waste tires at its Niagara facility by March 25 and lower the maximum accumulation to 33,600 tires by late June.

Accumulations of tires are regulated by the state because of the risk of fire as well as mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile virus.