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Stop Burning of Scrap Tires in Cement Kilns in the Mexico/US Border

Letter: His Excellency Vicente Fox Quesada President of Mexico Dear Mr. President, The undersigned groups and individuals express deep concern over the announcement made by the Environment and Natural Resources Secretariat (Semarnat), on the decision to "solve" the problem of the sites with millions of scrap tires abandoned along the border with United States by burning them in cement plants in the North of Mexico. This project is unpopular among environmental and civil right groups from both sides of the border, since it will pose extremely dangerous risks to the environment and public health, due to the emission of toxic substances. Cement kilns burning tires are a major source of dioxins together with medical waste and municipal solid waste incinerators. Cement kilns burning tires have shown to produce greater emissions of dioxins, mercury, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals such as lead, zinc, nickel and vanadium, than cement plants using coal or gas for fuel. These pollutants have been found to cause cancer, birth defects, diabetes, adversely affect the human hormonal, immune and central nervous systems, produce lung and kidney problems, among other health disorders. It is worth noting that these pollutants will not only be released through air emissions, but they are also expected to be present in kiln dust and even in the cement produced in these plants. As you know, on May 2001, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) was signed under framework of the United Nations. The Stockholm Convention sets the goal of continuing minimization and, where feasible, ultimate elimination of dioxins and furans releases to the environment. Burning tires in cement kilns will not contribute towards reduction but will increase the environmental release of dioxins and furans, moving Mexico away from its international commitment. Mexico has ratified the Stockholm Convention, and we understand the government should be acting according to this commitment. Burning of tires is a polluting practice, and it is also a waste of energy. According to the USEPA "it takes only 7 gallons of oil to retread a used tire compared to 22 gallons to produce a new tire."1 There is a wide variety of successful uses and recycling of scrap tires. The most important among them are: scrap tires re-tread, gymnasium flooring and matting, asphalt, railroad ties, parts on autos, traffic delineators, highway edge drains, fenders for marine applications, turf and training tracks and more. These options are being implemented in many countries, with excellent results. In this sense, one successful experience is the recycling program undertaken by the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. They recycle all of the tires annually discarded with a cryogenic system; no tires are disposed of in landfills, incinerators or cement kilns. There is the precedent in the Permanent Commission of the Senate of the Republic exhort to the Semarnat and Economy Secretariat officials, set on 20 August 2003, that aims at initiating actions to eliminate the entrance of used tires to Mexico, and where they point out that "The export of used tires is a way by which other countries transfer an environmental and public health problem to Mexico, may it be enough pointing out that the neighbor country produces 280 million used tires annually and partially solves its environmental problem by sending many millions of these tires to the Mexican territory."2 For these reasons, we request you to: 1. Stop the burning of used tires in cement kilns in the border region; 2. Cancel the agreement set between Semarnat and the National Cement Chamber in 1996 (ratified in 2001) to burn tires and hazardous waste in cement kilns; 3. Promote Clean Production within the cement industry; 4. Take Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) measures to hold tire manufacturers responsible for their products during their entire life-cycle. Consistent with EPR principles, manufacturers must assume physical and/or financial responsibility for scrap tires. Therefore, we urge to prompt them to find safer alternative uses for scrap tires, and don´t let cost of managing scrap tires be covered by citizens. 5. Again classify tires as "waste subject to control" in the competent law and regulation ?for their import to be banned- and include citizens participation and consultancy. We hope you understand the risks posed by burning tires in cement kilns, and guarantee that communities will not have to pay for the treatment of these tires with their money or their health. Sincerely yours,
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CC: ccp Eng. Alberto Cárdenas Jimenez, Secretary of Semarnat. ccp. Lic. Francisco Giner de los Ríos. Subdirector of Environmental Protection Management. Semarnat. c.c.p. Daniel Chacón Anaya. General Director of the Hazardous Materials and Activities Integral Management c.c.p. Environment and Border Affairs Commissions of the Mexican Senate and Chamber of Deputies.

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