On January 15, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) started accepting applications for grants from the state’s Tire Environmental Act Program (TEAP).

The grants are to fund projects that create or expand beneficial uses for end-of-life tires. Such projects include tire recycling and processing, using materials such as aggregate that are derived from tires, initiating research and development in tire management, using tires for alternative fuels, or promoting innovation in infrastructure.

"One of the most effective environmental practices we have is repurposing waste tires,” said TDEC Commissioner David Salyers. “The process not only diverts tires from landfills and illegal tire dumps but finds new uses for them. We encourage Tennesseans to be involved in this process, and these grants provide important financial assistance to those who want to join the effort.”

Tennessee produces approximately 6 million end-of-life tires every year. TEAP has helped divert more than 6.5 million tires since the program’s inception. The Tennessee General Assembly established the Tire Environmental Fund in 2015. Since then, grantees have been awarded almost $9.2 million to address waste tire disposal in the state.

The deadline for submission of grant applications is April 15. There are no restrictions on eligible entity types. All organizations are eligible to apply for the funding.

TDEC will host a webinar on January 31 at 1 p.m. (CST) for learning more about the program, including eligibility requirements, available funding amounts, and matching requirements. The webinar will also discuss the different types of projects that are eligible to receive funding.

Further information on the program is available online at the TEAP website. Information about the TDEC grants management system is available here.

The Tire Environmental Act Program is funded through a flat fee assessed to the sale of new motor vehicles in Tennessee based on the number of wheels of the vehicle. The fee is $5 for a new vehicle with four or fewer wheels, $10 for new vehicles with more than four but fewer than 11 wheels, and $15 for new vehicles with 11 or more wheels.

These are reimbursement grants, meaning an applicant will need to have start-up capital to apply for funding. The minimum grant request is $10,000, and the maximum grant request is $1 million; there are varying levels of matching funds required based on entity type. Applicants must demonstrate how their project will improve or enhance beneficial end uses for scrap tires.

Press release by TDEC.