Farmers Take Note: Environmental Conservation Law under: 6 NYCRR Part 360 – SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITIES requires that tires used to weigh-down silage bunk covers (among other uses) be either cut in half or have a “sufficient number of holes drilled in them to prevent water retention”.
Without halving or drilling, tires collect and store water, which are favored breeding locations for mosquitos.
Protection from mosquito bites can prevent diseases.
Mosquito-borne diseases are those spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Diseases that are spread to people by mosquitoes include Zika virus, West Nile virus, Chikungunya virus, dengue, and malaria (CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/outdoor/mosquito-borne/default.html ).
Please help manage the pesky mosquito by following this used tire preparation requirement. The regulation reads:
Section 360.12 Beneficial Use:
(iv) waste tires required to secure tarpaulins in common weather protection practices such as agricultural storage covers and salt pile protection, provided the number of passenger tire equivalents used does not exceed 0.25 passenger tire equivalents per square foot of cover or bunker area, and whole tires are cut in half or have sufficient number of holes drilled in them to prevent retention of water;
Passenger tire equivalent means a conversion measurement that is used to estimate waste tire weights and volume amounts and in which one passenger car tire with a rim diameter of 17 inches or less is equal to 20 pounds. One cubic yard of volume shall contain 15 passenger tire equivalents. Tires larger than a passenger car tire shall be evaluated for volume using this conversion measurement.
Waste tire means waste which consists of whole tires (on or off the rims) or portions of tires from a vehicle or motor vehicle as defined in ECL section 27-1901, including tire casings separated for retreading and tires with sufficient tread suitable for resale. Waste tire does not include crumb rubber derived from waste tires.
Link to 6 NYCRR Part 360: http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/materials_minerals_pdf/part360final.pdf
Prevent Mosquito Pools ... Things you can do
Are you saving good tires outside?
Store your unused tires inside or under a tarp.
Have a tire swing?
Make sure to drill holes in the bottom
Do you use junk tires to hold down tarps, ag plastic or bunk silo cover?
Drill holes in unused tires or cut the tire in half or into slices. You can buy tire sidewalls online.
Repurpose Junk Tires
There are many ideas online on how you could use those old tires.
Example: Fill the tires with dirt for raised planters.
Don't want the tires?
Drop tires off at any of the Cattaraugus County Transfer Stations for several dollars OR sometimes for free at a tire collection event in Cattaraugus County.
It's time to stop mosquitoes from having pool parties around your farm.
