|
Scrap
Tires | Scrap Tire News | Archived Article
|
First Native American Tire
Recycling Facility Opens in Southern California
The Cabazon
Band of Mission Indians celebrated the opening of the first tire
recycling center on an American Indian reservation, June 2 with
tours of the facility and displays of its recycled rubber products.
Tribal leaders and area business officials attending the grand
opening of the $6 million First Nation Recovery, Inc. (FNRI) facility
located on a portion of the Cabazon reservation in the tribe's
590-acre eco-industrial park near Mecca, California had the opportunity
to view whole tire processing and crumb rubber production, as
well as final product shipments during the event.
"The Cabazons'
resource recovery park is dedicated to preserving nature and putting
materials back in a usable state," said Cabazon Tribal Chairman
John James. The tribe also leases land in the industrial park
to Colmac Energy, Inc., a 48-megawatt biomass fueled power generation
plant that consumes 900 tons of waste wood chips daily and transforms
their energy into enough electricity for 45, 000 homes.
According to
FNRI General Manager Bob Phillips, the tribally-owned venture
is equipped with a state-of-the-art Granutech Saturn rubber reduction
system. The facility currently processes 6,000 pounds of tires
per hour about 35 million pounds per year will be processed in
a planned three-shift operation. Phillips said the plant began
shipping crumb rubber product June 1, a day before the grand opening.
FNRI's products
include the following:
½
crumb rubber, available a range of sizes up to 40 mesh
½
EcoPave TP an enhanced formula of fine mesh crumb rubber for the
rubberized asphalt industry.
½
EnviroTurf, a playground and land- scape cover available in a
range of colors
½
EnviroTurf EQ, a multi-use product for a variety of equestrian
applications including training arenas, stables and riding areas.
First Nation
has contracted with licensed scrap haulers in Southern California
who collect tires from tire shops, public works departments and
other scrap tire generators for its raw material supply. The company
does not accept tires from individuals, Phillips said.
Currently,
the plant is operating one shift but expects to phase in two additional
shifts by the end of the year.
back to archives
