County receives tire recycling grant
Portales, NM – Roosevelt County has been awarded grant funding from the New Mexico Environmental Department for the purchase of rubberized emulsion asphalt, made of recycled scrap tires. The material will be applied as a fog seal application on approximately 11 miles of County Maintained Roads constructed of chip sealed materials. There are approximately 120 miles of chip seal roadways in Roosevelt County.
“Roosevelt County will work with the City, dairy producers, farmers and ranchers in this newly developed process of utilizing local scrap tires through this recycling method,” stated Special Projects Coordinator Carol Acosta-Flores. “We’re thrilled to receive this grant award of approximately $78,000 and look forward to assisting our local residents with scrap tire disposal.
Acosta-Flores will attend grant training and coordinate with the Solid Waste Authority for project implementation. Once the project plan is composed, pick up and/or delivery details and the recycling process will be shared with residents to encourage local involvement and utilization. The rubberized material will be tested and must meet NMDOT specifications for applications.
“This is a new grant endeavor for the Road Department and we hope it will help reduce the amount of illegal dumping of scrap tires on County roads,” added Road Superintendent Ricky Lovato. “The Road Department grant funding has more than quadrupled this year with all the new awards such as this grant and the Department of Homeland Security Disaster Funding, and the NMDOT increased funding. The next 18 months will be taxing on our team and equipment, yet extremely rewarding for the entire County as we complete all of these new projects.”
The Board of Commissioners added two positions back to the Road Department in fiscal year 2018 and have worked closely with Administration to seek new funding opportunities and coordinate road rehabilitation work. They have also worked additional equipment into the upcoming fiscal year budget to assist in this increased workload. There is currently an opening for a full time Equipment Operator with the Road Department. Visit the County’s website at http://www.rooseveltcounty.com for more information on this or other available positions.
Roosevelt County residents interested in learning more about this scrap tire recycling program can contact Carol Acosta-Flores at 575.356.5307 or stop by the County Administrative Offices on the 3rd floor of the Roosevelt County Courthouse.
