For Friday, May 22, 2015

. . .

1 – Scrap tires are good for more than breeding mosquitoes.

The state Department of Environmental Quality has awarded $2.8 million in grants to help develop new markets for old tires.

The grants cover three types of projects.

The first type involves using rubber-modified asphalt in construction and repairs to improve existing Michigan roadways.

The second involves research to find new and better ways to incorporate scrap tire rubber into asphalt and concrete to improve the material’s performance.

The third involves equipment to create commodities from scrap tires and increase existing product generation. Examples of existing products include floor tiles and footwear.

Grants to local governments included $150,000 for roads in Bay County, and $85,000 in roads for the city of Saginaw.

 

2 – The Thumb Loop is done.

ITCTransmission of Novi says the third and final phase of its Thumb Loop high-voltage transmission project is complete.

ITC invested more than $500 million to build the 345,000-volt line, which serves as the backbone of a system designed to meet the identified maximum wind energy potential of Michigan’s Thumb region.

The company say the improvements allow for an increase in transmission system capacity and reliability, and the more efficient transmission of renewable energy.

The project was completed early, and had been slated to be finished by the end of the year.

During the construction phase of the Thumb Loop, ITC estimates the project had a direct impact of $366 million to the Michigan economy, including employment of local contractors, vendors and suppliers.

– Mr. Great Lakes is heard at 9 a.m. Fridays in Bay City, Michigan, on Delta College Q-90.1 FM NPR.

Follow @jeffkart on Twitter