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emissions much lower than produced by existing solid-fuel-fired boilers (on a heat input basis) with a specially designed combustor and add-on controls. Depending on the design of the combustion device, some tire processing is usually necessary before it is ready to be used as a fuel. Processing includes dewiring and shredding and/or other sizing techniques. Some specially designed boilers and cement kilns have had their feed systems designed to accept whole tires. TDF has been used successfully in properly designed combustors with good combustion control and appropriate add-on controls, particularly particulate controls, such as electrostatic precipitators or fabric filters. The resultant air emissions can usually satisfy environmental compliance limits even with TDF representing up to 10 to 20% of the fuel requirements. Twenty percent supplemental TDF is perceived as an upper limit in most existing boilers because of boiler limitations on fuel or performance. However, dedicated tire-to-energy facilities specifically designed to burn TDF as their only fuel have been demonstrated to achieve emission rates much lower than most solid fuel combustors. Conclusion Air emissions have been documented from open burning of scrap tires and from TDF in well-designed combustors. Laboratory and field studies have confirmed that open burning produces toxic gases that can represent significant acute and chronic health hazards. However, field studies have also confirmed that TDF can be used successfully as a 10 - 20% supplementary fuel in properly designed solid-fuel combustors with good combustion control and add-on particulate controls, such as electrostatic precipitators or fabric filters. Furthermore, a dedicated tire-to-energy facility specifically designed to burn TDF as its only fuel has been demonstrated to achieve emission rates much lower than most solid fuel combustors. No field data were available for well-designed combustors with no add-on particulate controls. Laboratory testing of an RKIS indicated that efficient combustion of supplementary TDF can destroy many volatile and semi-volatile air contaminants. However, it is not likely that a solid fuel combustor without add-on particulate controls could satisfy air emission regulatory requirements in the U.S. No data were available for poorly designed or primitive combustion devices with no add-on controls. Air emissions from these types of devices would depend on design, fuel type, method of feeding, and other parameters. There is serious concern that emissions would be more like those of an open tire fire than a well-designed combustor. Stack emissions test data would need to be collected and analyzed to confirm this.