Proposed Pennsylvania Legislation Could Prevent Future Tire Piles

Danielle Jackson

Harrisburg, Pa. -- Lawmakers in the Pennsylvania State House voted 195-0 on Monday night to approve legislation that would prevent the development of tire piles.

The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Craig A. Dally, R-Northampton/Monroe, would limit the amount of time that haulers and processors can store tires on their properties to 100 days, require haulers and processors to pay a $50 annual fee to receive authorization to handle waste tires, let the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) put a lien on properties to recoup the costs of cleanup for already existing tire piles, and let the DEP compile and track a list of tire piles containing anywhere from 1,500 tires to 10,000 tires. Current law requires the state to track sites with only 10,000 or more tires.

Dally's district includes the largest tire pile in the state, accounting for more than 1.2 million tires. Dally told The Morning Call that his bill would spare other communities from developing similar piles, which can lead to fires and can spread disease through mosquito infestations.