Tire use on farms for silage storage

Michigan’s scrap tire regulation Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act - Part 169 –Allows up to 3000 whole scrap tires to be used to secure stored feed. –If use sidewall slabs – no limit –Improved management practices needed Reduce environmental risks

Tire piles are a problem Pests –1 tire – 1000s mosquitoes each year –Mosquitoes carry and transmit diseases West Nile Virus Encephalitis Fire –Arson, lighting or equipment failures –Difficult to extinguish –Evacuations –Costly to clean up Pollution from fires –Hazardous compounds –Affect groundwater and –Surface water

Tire and Sidewall Storage Requirements While Part 169, Scrap Tires, of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act sets the requirements for the storage of more than 3,000 whole scrap tires used at feed storage locations, the DEQ recommends that these storage requirements also be followed for storing less than 3,000 whole scrap tires or tire sidewalls. These include:

Tire and Sidewall Storage Recommendations Fire prevention requirements –Piles no greater than 15 feet high –Piles no greater than 200’ by 40’ horizontal area –Minimum of 30 feet between piles –No closer than 20 feet from property lines –No closer than 60 feet to building and structures –Accessible by firefighting equipment –Variance possible from local fire department

Tire and sidewall storage (continued) Storage isolated from hazardous products –Lead acid batteries –Fuel tanks –Solvent barrels –Pesticide containers Allow fire department inspection of storage at any reasonable time Employees trained on emergency response

Emergency Response Protection of people from harm Emergency contact numbers –Fire department Availability of fire fighting materials –Water (ponds, streams etc.) –Hoses –Equipment to move stored tires away from fire

Prevention of Mosquito Breeding Whole tire should also be maintained in a manner that limits the potential for mosquito breeding. –Providing for proper drainage (drilling holes in the tires) –Treating the tires to limit breeding (larvacides)

Drilling recommendations for whole tires - drainage Four holes – 1 inch diameter Where the tread meets the sidewall – 2 on each side Provides drainage no matter how the tires lays.

More than 3,000 whole tires? Written request to: – DEQ Waste and Hazardous Waste Materials Division Chief –Reasons why needed Request –Approved, or denied

Minimize leachate (seepage) and runoff Harvest at below 67% moisture Use tight fitting cover Divert clean water from silage Keep a clean face and pad on bunker storage

Other silage storage tips Be prepared to stop a discharge (if one occurs) –Emergency Action Plan (Extension bulletin E-2575) –Alert DEQ if leachate reaches surface water DEQ Emergency hotline: MDA Emergency hotline: (second option

Silage Safety Tractor rollovers when packing silage –Rollover protection structure (ROPS) –Seat belt –Dual wheels for lateral stability

Silage “avalanches” DO NOT OVERFILL! Do not pile forage any higher than what your unloading equipment can reach safely Use care when removing tires, plastic covers, and spoiled feed from the top edge of the face –Stay at least three feet from the edge, and approach carefully with minimal disturbance –A hooked pole or rod can be used to stay even farther back while pulling tires or plastic back from an edge that looks particularly unstable Avoid undercutting silage during removal, and keep the face as smooth as possible Do not use lifting methods on the face during removal, as this can cause fissures which destabilize the silage

Silage “avalanches” Never put more silage on top of the plastic, as this silage can easily slide down the plastic and become an avalanche during silage removal Stay away from the silage face during removal or sampling, and do not allow people near the face, especially while someone else is on top removing plastic or tires When sampling, take the sample(s) from the loader bucket after moving it a sufficient distance from the silage face Do not park or exit vehicles near the face Use a machine with a ROPS cab, or at a minimum a ROPS with side screens

Confined spaces and silo gases –Stay out of recently-filled silos –Watch for symptoms of excess silo gas. Silo gas is heavier than air and will quietly move down the ladder chute of an upright silo. A bleach-like odor and the presence of a yellowish-brown gas around the base of a silo Dead insects and birds at the base of a recently filled silo –Use a blower to ventilate silos at least 30 minutes prior to entry. If the danger of silo gas still exists, use a respiratory protective device such as a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). –Never allow children or young family members to climb on or explore silos. –Keep all doors between the base of a silo and ground level barns closed to limit the amount of silo gas that can enter.

Summary Use sidewall slabs when possible Store tires and sidewalls to reduce fire potential Minimize silage leachate Be safe –Packing –Avalanches –Gases