Committee approves 3‑year pilot to fund cleanup of abandoned tire piles with 50¢ per‑tire fee; roll call 5‑4

The Senate Health and Welfare Committee voted 5‑4 to send Senate Bill 1089 to the floor with a due‑pass recommendation after testimony from industry representatives, recyclers and local‑government groups advocating for a funded cleanup program for abandoned tire piles.

Sponsor Senator Mark Harris described the issue as a long‑running public‑health and environmental hazard: multiple abandoned tire piles across Idaho are sites for mosquito breeding, fire risk and illegal dumping. He traced Idaho’s statutory history on waste tires, noting the 1991 waste‑tire law and subsequent 2003 amendments, and described the bill as a repeal of the old scheme and replacement with a new three‑year pilot funded by a 50¢ per‑tire fee collected at point of sale.

Under the bill, fees would be deposited in a new state fund administered by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). DEQ would be authorized, subject to legislative appropriation, to contract directly for cleanup or provide grants to cities and counties to remove abandoned piles. The measure also includes a partial reimbursement for tire recyclers to keep legitimate recyclers competitive against illicit handlers. The sponsor and advocates said the pilot is expected to raise roughly $1 million per year; testimony cited a range of prior estimates for the number of abandoned tires in Idaho.

Testimony from DEQ‑stakeholder presenters and recyclers described the problem and the market: Roy Eguerin, a lawyer representing Liberty Tire Recycling, presented an inventory and said DEQ had identified dozens of abandoned piles. Industry witnesses said the state currently has only a small number of tire collectors/recyclers: Liberty Tire (which ships material out of state) and Tire Reclaim (a Caldwell firm that recycles domestically). Rob Jarrus of Liberty Tire Recycling and Craig Hunter, president and CEO of Tire Reclaim, described recycling markets and logistics, saying reimbursement incentives in other states have helped eliminate whole‑tire landfills and abandoned piles.

Witnesses and local‑government groups urged action. Lance Sayers of the Association of Idaho Cities and Seth Grigg of the Idaho Association of Counties said local jurisdictions lack the resources to remove large piles and supported a statewide funding mechanism. Proponents said 35 other states use disposal fees ranging from 25¢ to $10 per tire.

Stakeholder testimony described program details the bill would create: 1) a 50¢ per‑tire fee charged at point of purchase for three years; 2) creation of a fund in the state treasury to be administered by DEQ; 3) authority for DEQ to contract for cleanup or issue grants to cities/counties; 4) partial recycler reimbursements tiered by end use of recycled material; and 5) an annual DEQ report to the legislature on cleanup and receipts.

Senators raised fiscal and philosophical questions. Opponents on the committee said they preferred a free‑market approach or worried the fee is an additional cost imposed on consumers; supporters argued the fee is modest and will remove health and safety hazards that local governments cannot afford to abate. Several committee members noted differing inventory estimates: the sponsor cited an estimate of roughly 153,000 tires statewide while a stakeholder presentation referenced DEQ’s inventory of approximately 21–22 abandoned piles and an estimate of about 50,000 tires. The record shows both figures were presented in committee testimony.

The committee took a roll‑call vote. The clerk recorded the following votes: Ayes — Senator Mark Harris, Senator Blaylock, Senator Wintrow, Senator Bjerke, Senator Van Orden. Nays — Senator Ziderfeld, Senator Lenny, Senator Shippey, Senator Keiser. The motion passed 5‑4.

If enacted, the bill would require the Tax Commission to collect the fee and deposit proceeds into the new fund; DEQ would administer the program subject to appropriation by the Legislature. Proponents urged the pilot as a time‑limited, accountable way to address visible public‑health and environmental risks and to support legitimate recycling businesses.