County Responsibilities for Waste Tire Management

The S.C. Solid Waste Policy and Management Act of 1991 requires county governments to manage waste tires. Counties are encouraged to work cooperatively with cities to manage waste tires collected from residents. The Act designates funding to meet these requirements.

Funding

For each tire sold in South Carolina, the S.C. Department of Revenue (DOR) provides a portion of the $2 waste tire fee to each county based upon population. The funds must be used for collecting, processing or recycling of waste tires.

Counties also may receive Waste Tire Grant Funding from DHEC provided their waste tire management funds allocated by DOR are exhausted. Grant funding is made available on an annual basis, but also may be requested throughout the year. Request grant application information.

Local governments may charge tipping fees for tires on which the fee has not been paid.

Counties are prohibited from imposing an additional fee on waste tires generated within their jurisdiction.

Counties, however, may charge tipping fees on the following tires:

• heavy equipment tires from farming, logging and mining operations;
• tires generated outside of South Carolina;
• fleet tires on which there is no documentation that a fee has been paid; and
• unsold tires manufactured in South Carolina on which no fee has been paid.

Collection Policy

Counties are encouraged to implement tire collection policies that encourage the delivery of waste tires to a county collection site or to an approved recycler. The policies should address fees and waivers for waste tires accepted from residents, retailers of new tires, used tire dealers and automobile dismantlers.

Management of illegally dumped or stockpiled waste tires

Each county is required by the Act to participate in ongoing waste tire cleanup enforcement efforts. Counties should contact the local DHEC office when they identify illegally dumped or stockpiled waste tires and engage local code enforcement authorities to ensure responsible parties are held accountable.

To file a pollution complaint, contact your local DHEC office.

PalmettoPride provides contact information for local litter enforcement offices. Visit www.palmettopride.org and click on Select Your County on the bar at the top of the page.

DHEC grant funding can be requested by local governments after appropriate compliance and enforcement efforts have been completed or as dictated by public health risks.