Like most people, I do not know near enough about the science as to whether the proposed tire disposal plant will be polluting our air or not. I do know that both sides will come up with scientists who will provide the appropriate evidence for both sides of the argument. Then, how is one to really know?

I also know that tires don’t magically disappear from the planet and that SOMETHING has to be done with them, and I’d imagine that SOMEONE has developed the technology to do this without ruining the air we breathe.

And no one on the anti side are going to convince many on the pro side, and visa versa.

So why not work out a deal something like this:

  1. Sign a deal that the tire plant can be built.
  2. Put into the deal the specific numbers for the acceptable emissions that the developers claim will be there, that everyone can agree is safe.
  3. Then, write into the agreement (and make it very public) that if those numbers are exceeded at any time, that the plant gets shut down immediately with no further recourse by its owners.

It seems like that would kind of be a “put up or shut up” option for the developers. They’d have to darn well KNOW that this plant won’t pollute our air–otherwise they will spend tens of millions of dollars that will be thrown away if they don’t live up to their word.

Seems like something along these lines would work, and give everyone a chance to actually see how this does — and if it doesn’t work, it gets shut down before it can do any damage to anyone (and the owners lose their shirts).

Make any sense?

JB