SJS

Simmons, Jannace Stagg

ontroversy over tire-derived fuel (TDF), triumphs and snafus in state scrap tire programs, the re-appearance of pyrolysis and the resurgence of a major market player all made news in rubber recycling in 2004. A total of 129.7 million tires were used as TDF in 2003, making it the largest market for scrap tires, according to figures from the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA). Nevertheless, environmentalists mostly remain opposed to burning tires as fuel, expressing doubts about the environmental safety of the practice and its economic wisdom compared with the manufacture of durable, value-added products.

The plaintiff in a product liability case involving Firestone tires on a Ford Explorer is entitled to seek punitive damages despite suffering no physical injury, a Florida state appeals court has ruled.

Attorneys for plaintiff Carolyn Holmes hailed the Nov. 24 decision as historic. "I think this case is extremely significant, given that it's the first one so far in which an appeals court has ruled that the facts alone are enough to warrant the award of punitive damages,'' said Stewart Williams, the Miami ...