Washington, DC –
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today called on the federal government
to meet with a Western New York company that develops new, green
construction materials from recycled tires. According to The Buffalo News,
Re-Tread Products has developed the Tire Log to be used as an
energy-efficient “green” building product. In a letter to agency
officials, Senator Gillibrand urged FEMA and the Army Corps of
Engineers to meet with executives from Re-Tread Products to discuss
this product’s potential uses across the country.
The
Tire Log has unique properties that make it a promising sustainable,
green construction material used for damage prevention. By design, Tire
Log is a flexible but strong material that can bend without breaking,
enabling it to prevent damage from extreme shock or stress. Therefore,
this product could be used for various civil engineering applications,
including replacement for lumber, concrete and other building materials
for flood-control projects like dikes, levees and retaining walls and
in areas subject to earthquake activity.
The
type of green manufacturer that could create good-paying green-collar
jobs in Western New York, Re-Tread is continuing research and
development into new products and uses for waste tires. Their products
are said to be both environmentally friendly and cost efficient.
In
letters to W. Craig Fugate, Administrator for FEMA and Lieutenant
General Robert L. Van Antwerp, Commanding General of the Army Corps of
Engineers, Senator Gillibrand wrote, “Re-Tread Products has the
potential to become a leader in Western New York manufacturing. They
have developed and patented a unique, green building material made from
recycled tires called the Tire Log… [Re-Tread’s] expansion would create
jobs where they are needed, encourage environmentally-friendly
production, and create a product that could potentially help rebuild
fundamental infrastructure that is overseen by your agency.”
For more information: www.retreadproducts.com.