EnviroPolitics Blog

Recycled tires: Where the rubber is the road

These days, the chances are your car’s not only driving on rubber tires but over them as well.

Some 18 million vehicle tires are now being recycled in American each year for use as A-R (Asphalt Rubber) in road paving applications.

Proponents of using old automobile tires to make A-R claim that the practice is better than landfilling, and cleaner than burning the tires as a fuel. Roads resurfaced with A-R also are noticeably quieter to drive over.

In its February issue, American Recycler contains an interesting report on rubberized roads which cites the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s (NJDOT) experiences with the material.

“A few years ago, we did a project that was a 7-mile section on Interstate 95 near our Ewing offices. We received dozens calls from drivers asking what is that stuff? It’s great, the noise is less. People driving on it can tell the difference over regular asphalt and they say, ‘Wow! What a big difference.’ It’s very unusual for us to get that kind of positive public reaction,” said Eileen Sheehy, manager of New Jersey’s DOT Bureau of Materials.

“With rubberized asphalt, we were getting about a three decibel reduction in noise over conventional asphalt, but over concrete you may get up to a ten decibel reduction. And, that’s really significant,” said Sheehy. According to NJDOT, tires on concrete pavement generate between 100 and 110 decibels of sound, depending on the age and surface texture. On conventional asphalt the noise is in the high 90s to low 100s. Rubberized open-graded friction courses are in the 95 to 97 decibel range. “What we are really trying to do is cut the noise at the source,” said Sheehy.

The article notes that New Jersey has completed most of the sound walls and barriers mandated by federal requirements to mitigate noise pollution. Sound walls and other types of barriers are expensive, costing between $200 to $400 dollars per linear foot. In many urban areas there is not enough space to build them.

“Now we are dealing with what we consider nuisance noise – noise not high enough for mandated sound barriers, but nevertheless bothersome to residents. That’s why we put rubberized asphalt on Route 280, because of noise complaints. It’s also useful in areas where it’s very hilly, because we can’t always build sound barriers tall enough,” Sheehy said.

Our most recent posts:

Could a revised State Plan save NJ money?

EPA setting new Nitrogen Dioxide air limit

Bad news for PSE&G power line foes in NJ

Environmental Events in NJ and PA

TV’s spooky spotlight on environmental engineers

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Could a revised State Plan save NJ money?

As if Gov. Chris Christie’s new administration didn’t already have enough to deal with, along comes a revision to the State Plan–some six years overdue at that.

But rather than shuffle it to the bottom of the “to do” pile, the governor’s staff might want to give the document careful study–and, perhaps, implementation.

Why? Because it could save the state and municipalities a ton of money, according to the planning advocacy organization
New Jersey Future.

The organization’s director, Jay Corbalis, says that a new Impact Assessment finds that, by following the State Plan, New Jersey would:

reduce water and sewer infrastructure costs by $500 million
save municipalities and school districts more than $100 million a year, and
save 60,000 acres of land that would otherwise be developed from 2008 to 2028

The plan requires Governor Christie’s approval, but Corbalis notes:

“one of the administration’s key transition teams has recommended strengthening the authority of the (State Planning) Commission, allowing it to update the State Plan in a manner that coordinates the capital investment priorities and regulatory regimes of state agencies.”

For more, check out NJ Future’s new blog post on the subject.

Our most recent posts:
EPA setting new Nitrogen Dioxide air limit
Bad news for PSE&G power line foes in NJ
Environmental Events in NJ and PA
TV’s spooky spotlight on environmental engineers
Inaugural address of NJ Gov. Christopher Christie

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EPA setting new Nitrogen Dioxide air limit

The agency says its proposed new one-hour standard–the first in 35 years–will protect millions of Americans from peak short-term exposures, which primarily occur near major roads. Short-term exposures to NO2 have been linked to impaired lung function and increased respiratory infections, especially in people with asthma. “This new one-hour standard is designed to protect the air we breathe and reduce health threats for millions of Americans. For the first time ever, we are working to prevent short-term exposures in high risk NO2 zones like urban communities and areas near roadways,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Improving air quality is a top priority for this EPA. We’re moving into the clean, sustainable economy of the 21st century, defined by expanded innovation, stronger pollution standards, and healthier communities.”The agency set the new one-hour standard for NO2 at a level of 100 parts per billion (ppb). EPA also is retaining the existing annual average standard of 53 ppb. NO2 is formed from vehicle, power plant, and other industrial emissions, and contributes to the formation of fine particle pollution and smog. EPA is establishing new monitoring requirements in urban areas that will measure NO2 levels around major roads and across the community. Monitors must be located near roadways in cities with at least 500,000 residents. Larger cities and areas with major roadways will have additional monitors. Community-wide monitoring will continue in cities with at least 1 million residents. Working with the states, EPA will site at least 40 monitors in locations to help protect communities that are susceptible and vulnerable to elevated levels of NO2. EPA expects to identify or designate areas not meeting the new standard, based on the existing community-wide monitoring network, by January 2012. New monitors must begin operating no later than Jan. 1, 2013. When three years of air quality data are available from the new monitoring network, EPA intends to redesignate areas as appropriate.
More about Nitrogen Dioxide

Our most recent posts:
Bad news for PSE&G power line foes in NJ
Environmental Events in NJ and PA
TV’s spooky spotlight on environmental engineers
Inaugural address of NJ Gov. Christopher Christie
Note to NJ-DEP commissioner nominee–buckle up!
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Bad news for PSE&G power line foes in NJ

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s transition team has released a report backing a major Public Service Electric & Gas Co. power line project through Northwest Jersey, The Daily Record reports today.

The newspaper said that the 19-page report calls for “more robust transmission network across the Delaware River and within New Jersey,” claiming it is necessary to “eliminate constraints that prevent New Jersey residents and businesses from buying cheaper power.”

PSEG’s plan for the 45-mile, $750 million high-voltage Susquehanna-Roseland power line is currently being reviewed by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities which recently postponed its decision in order to obtain more information about the reasons for the termination of a similar power line proposal in Virginia.

PSEG is seeking to erect new, higher towers to carry more voltage along an existing tower route through Warren, Sussex, Morris and Essex counties.

A number of residents along the proposed route say they fear potential negative health effects and also believe the line will depress property values.

Environmentalists argue that the line would would damage natural areas and that the energy it’s designed to carry would be generated in coal-burning power plants. They also claim that much of the power would go to places outside of New Jersey.

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Environmental Events in NJ & PA

Winter hikes, skiing trips, animal tracking basics and a Wonder Walk for Families are events listed on our Enviro-Events Calendar this weekend.

Next week’s events include:

New Jersey Clean Cities Coalition-General Meeting

LSRP Strategy and Update Panel Discussion

Northeast Organic Farms Association’s Winter Conference

Events in February:

Environmental Business Council Roundtable

AESP 20th National Conference & Expo

Backyard Habitat Design Workshop

LEED Core Concepts & Strategies

Princeton:IMAGINE a sustainable world

NJ Audubon: Survival: Gimme Shelter

Free Penn State Marcellus Shale Webinar

Crisis in New Jersey’s Forests

The Art of Nature Specimens

Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo

New Jersey Bicycle Summit

NJ Audubon Society’s Animal Tracking: The Basics

See the details on our Enviro-Events Calendar.

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Our most recent posts:

Inaugural address of NJ Gov. Christopher Christie

Note to NJ-DEP commissioner nominee–buckle up!

NJ environmental bills play beat the clock

Wind energy blows free of stringent local zoning

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TV’s spooky spotlight on environmental engineers

Need a ghostbuster? Call an environmental engineer.

Our friends at Langan Engineering and Environmental Services get some priceless promotional attention Sunday night on the National Geographic Channel.

In Haunted Prison, a team of Langan scientists sets up high-tech environmental monitoring devices inside Philadelphia’s old, abandoned (and very spooky) Eastern State Penitentiary.

Their mission is to determine whether the ghosts of prisoners past–a matter of considerable local lore–have a measurable physical basis. (A lot more fun than measuring PCB plumes, no?)

The show airs locally at 9 p.m.

Check out the atmospheric trailer below for a preview.

Our most recent posts:
Inaugural address of NJ Gov. Christopher Christie
Note to NJDEP commissioner nominee–buckle up!
NJ environmental bills play beat the clock
Wind energy blows free of stringent local zoning

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Like this post? You’ll love our daily newsletter, EnviroPolitics
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