The California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) a division of Cal EPA regulates Golden’s tire recycling business. Golden has been permitted since 1997 as a Waste Tire Hauler and a Major Waste Tire Facility. The Hauler permit regulates the transportation and documentation of all tires and tire products collected and distributed by Golden. The Facility permit is what regulates the volume of tires and fire suppression storage regulations for Golden’s recycling facility. Golden’s conditional use permit with Merced County is a sub-permit to the CIWMB Tire Facility permit. The CIWMB works closely with LEA Merced County to regulate mosquito abatement, fire prevention, and other environmental aspects of the tire recycling business, as is done in other areas of the state. Inspectors visit Golden’s facility at least one time per year to review documentation, policies and tire volume and storage. Golden’s tire volume is set based upon a tire clean-up bond that Golden is required to have in place. Currently Golden’s $120,000 bond allows them to have 150 ton of whole tires on site at any given time. Any and all volumes of tire inventory must be stored according to fire prevention regulations. The bond is tied to a written clean-up program that must be updated annually to account for inflationary costs. Golden’s fire prevention plan includes 2000 gpm water supply available with or without electricity, its own fire truck onsite, additional onsite water storage, careful facility layout, regular employee training, and communication/training with the local fire department.
 

The CIWMB has granted Golden 4 matching grants in the past seven years for equipment (seed) money as well as business improvement assistance and its subsidiary Recycle Market Development Zone Program has awarded Golden two low interest loans. Golden feels this is a sincere compliment to the reputation it has built in the industry to be supported in this way by the agency that also regulates it.