IPSCO Inc. announced that in the next year it expects to donate more than $100,000 into the education system of north Mobile County, Ala. The money is a direct result of savings generated in its Alabama Steelworks operation by substituting scrap tires for carbon in the steel manufacturing process. The funds will be distributed by the newly formed IPSCO Foundation for Education, a registered charity whose primary purpose will be to provide financial support to local schools.
The project is expected to carry on into future years at similar funding levels, although this will depend on similar cost savings being realized from the use of scrap tires in the steel manufacturing process. IPSCO Steel (Alabama) Inc. President Paul Wilson explained: “Alabama, like most states, has an abundance of stockpiled scrap tires that are a fire hazard, unsightly and a breeding group for pests such as mosquitoes, which contributes to the spread of the West Nile virus. By using scrap tires in steel production, IPSCO is able to reduce the hazard from tire piles, reduce the consumption of a raw material - carbon - and also reduce its cost of production, freeing up money for charitable giving. It is a win-win situation for all.”