Scrap Auto Tire Debate

Barberton Junk Cars is back with another story within the realm of auto scrap and recycling. We strive to be more than a buyer of junk cars or a place to scrap a car in Akron. We seek to provide updated blog content concerning the market of auto recycling junk cars. As a buyer of junk cars who has been in the business of auto recycling junk cars for several years, we recognize the importance of having useful solutions for scrap vehicle tires. These rubber doughnuts take up a great deal of space, are a breeding ground for mosquitoes and have traditionally cost us money to dispose of. On October 2, 2015 an story titled ‘Turf War: One Suburb Bans Crumb Rubber, Another Says It’s Safe’ composed by Hannah Rappleye, Kevin Monahan and Stephanie Gosk on nbcnews.com, has rekindled the debate on using shredded scrap vehicle tires in turf used on playing surfaces as follows: “Jon Damm is a lacrosse coach in Fairfax County, VA. Jon and his wife Laura, both environmental lawyers, have decided that the bits of pulverized rubber tires nestled in the fake grass pose a health risk to their 2 children. Damm says they don’t feel comfortable having kids on the fields, which is heartbreaking for the coach.

The debate over whether crumb rubber turf is safe to play on is continuing across the country. In the absence of clear federal guidance or definitive scientific studies, parents and municipalities are deciding the issue on their own. The EPA has said more testing needs to be done, and that for now, decisions about turf are a local & state matter. The agency has declined requests from NBC News for an interview.” The complete story is available at this link.

In the October 6, 2015 edition of tirebusiness.com, they posted a rebuttal of sorts titled ‘Recycled rubber council refutes NBC turf report’ with the following details: “NBC News is off-base in suggesting that crumb rubber in synthetic athletic turf may be a causative factor in various cancers, according to the Recycled Rubber Council (RRC), an association for recycled rubber manufacturers, processors & distributors. They feel that recycled rubber used in turf fields is safe and doesn’t cause cancer. The RCC says we have to look at the facts and the science. As an industry, we stand unequivocally behind the products.

The RRC noted that NBC News itself acknowledges that no research has linked crumb or shredded scrap tire rubber to cancer.  The report also quoted toxicologist Laura Green as saying there is no reason for concern about synthetic turf. Both stories centered on Amy Griffin, women’s soccer coach at the University of Washington. In last year’s story, Ms. Griffin said she had learned of 38 young soccer players, 34 of them goalkeepers, who had developed various forms of cancer. In the latest story, she told NBC News that she had learned of 63 goalies the developed cancer, 15 of whom had died.” The full article is available by clicking here.

We at BJC have encountered this debate before and would likely not have revisited the topic right now if NBC had not reported it again recently. The problem here is that there is no evidence to support the argument from either side. In the NBC News report, the interviewees were a husband and wife who are both environmental attorneys. Gee, I wonder if two environmental attorneys would have any underlying interests in this debate? Every roadway, driveway, parking lot and sidewalk comes in daily contact with auto tires, so perhaps we are all going to develop cancer by walking on these surfaces! Until there are several independent, scientific based studies on this topic, it should not be the topic of debate.

Are you looking to scrap a car in Akron? We suggest you call the area’s premier buyer of junk cars at (330) 732-JUNK for a junk car quote to determine the available cash for your car. The business of auto recycling junk cars is more common than you may think. To scrap a car in Akron, Clinton or Fairlawn you will need to possess the vehicle title and an ID matching the name on the title. Get cash for cars in Summit County, Medina County and Portage County today by contacting Barberton Junk Cars. Our junk auto buyer is on hand 6 days a week to provide you with cash for cars and same-day junk vehicle removal. When we buy scrap cars for cash, we insure that the vehicle is recycled in a manner that is friendly to the environment.