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EMD’s Environmental Health Division is responsible for inspecting approximately 1,000 businesses in Sacramento County that generate, haul, or accept waste tires.
California’s Waste Tire Program began in 1989 with the passage of Assembly Bill 1843. This legislation was the impetus for the Tire Recycling Management Fund which provides funds for tire recycling, reuse, recovery, and stockpile reduction operations. It is estimated that 60 million waste tires are generated in California each year, with legacy tire piles reduced in California to around 25,000 tires (was in the millions prior to the implementation of the program).
In addition to waste reduction and recycling goals, waste tires are also regulated for the following reasons:
- Tires provide an excellent breeding ground for disease carrying vectors – namely mosquitoes and rodents.
- When tires burn, they release a variety of toxic compounds that can pollute our air, soil, and groundwater- requiring extensive and expensive remediation projects, in addition to having a negative effect on public health.
The Waste Tire Program is currently overseen by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), who is charged with developing and enforcing the technical standards and permit requirements for waste tire facilities and haulers. CalRecycle also provides grants and loans to help California cities, counties, businesses, and organizations meet the state’s waste reduction, reuse, and recycling goals.
Funding for all Waste Tire Program grants and loans comes from the California Tire fee which is charged by retailers when new tires are purchased. EMD applies for a grant each year, which funds the implementation of the Waste Tire Program in Sacramento County.
Most businesses in the program are inspected every two years, as program staff are able to conduct approximately 500 inspections each year. In addition to inspections, EMD staff also follow up on complaints related to tires, tire dumping, illegal tire haulers, and have access to a variety of surveillance equipment such as motion sensing surveillance cameras that can be installed at areas suffering from repeated illegal tire dumping.
For more information on the Waste Tire Program, view the 
Waste Tire Program brochure or visit CalRecycle’s website at www.calrecycle.ca.gov/tires/.
Sacramento County Environmental Management Department
Environmental Health Division
11080 White Rock Rd., Suite 200
Rancho Cordova, CA 95670
916-875-8440
emdinfo@saccounty.gov
