Opinion ID: 76726
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Scrap Tire Requirements

Text: 50 The plaintiffs alleged and the jury found that the defendants violated Georgia's regulations governing scrap tire management. Under Georgia law, any person who generates scrap tires shall have a Scrap Tire Generator Identification Number (ID#) issued by the [EPD]. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 391-3-4-.19(4)(a). Scrap tire generators must also initiate a manifest to transport scrap tires and must report the number of scrap tires transported and the manner of their disposition. Id. at r. 391-3-4-.19(4)(b),(e). 51 SMP was a scrap tire generator under the SWMA and, therefore, had to comply with the above requirements. The term scrap tire generator is defined broadly to include any person who generates scrap tires. Generators may include, but are not limited to, retail tire dealers, retreaders, scrap tire processors, automobile dealers, private company vehicle maintenance shops, garages, service stations, and city, county, and state governments. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 391-3-4-.19(2)(i) (emphasis added). Scrap tire processing, in turn, means any method, system, or other treatment designed to change the physical form, size, or chemical content of scrap tires and includes all aspects of its management (administration, personnel, land, equipment, buildings, and other elements). Processing includes, but is not limited to, shredding, baling, recycling, or sorting of scrap tires. Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 391-3-4-.19(2)(j). Thus, those who sort, shred, or recycle scrap tires are scrap tire generators under Georgia law. SMP removed tires from junk cars brought to the facility. These tires were then either taken to a recycling facility or to a local dump. As such, SMP was required to have a scrap tire identification number and to comply with Georgia's record and reporting requirements. 27 SMP, however, admitted that it did not have an ID number and, thus, SMP violated Georgia's permit requirements for scrap tire generators.