The International Paper Company wants permission to burn tires for two weeks at its Ticonderoga Mill on Lake Champlain. The company announced on Tuesday that it filed an application with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for the test burn. A company spokesman says it’s invited Vermont officials to observe the test as well.
IP hopes to burn the shredded tires as an alternative to higher-priced conventional fuels. But Vermont environmentalists say the burn could release dangerous pollutants into the atmosphere — including elevated levels of lead, mercury, cadmium and mercury.