Advocate proposes state tire‑deposit to curb illegal dumping; DEQ meeting set for follow‑up
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Summary
A community advocate proposed a statewide recycling fee plus per‑tire deposit to discourage illegal dumping, turn collectors into paid recyclers and cover municipal cleanup costs; DEQ follow‑up and state agency discussions were scheduled.
During public comment, Mr. Thomas, a volunteer with the Walls Project and the task force's tire subcommittee, urged a statewide remedy for waste‑tire dumping: require a recycling fee and deposit on tires entering the state and reimburse processors when that tire is returned for proper recycling.
"If you collected the recycling fee and collect the deposit on any tire that enters the state... whoever turns the tires in at the end gets the deposit back," Thomas said, arguing the approach would incentivize collection and reduce illegal dumping. He said used tire dealers and wholesalers would be charged the fee when tires enter the state and that the State would reimburse processors for accepted tires.
Members asked practical questions about implementation, including how to handle existing stockpiles and online tire sales. Mayor Tom Arsenault asked whether the deposit would follow the tire and whether a transition for unprepaid stock tires was possible; Thomas suggested inventory surveys or an amnesty could address preexisting tires.
Senator Jay Luno and others encouraged Mr. Thomas to continue talks with the Department of Environmental Quality; Thomas reported a DEQ meeting set for Wednesday for further technical discussion and welcomed the task force's interest.
Task force members agreed the idea is worth study but noted it likely belongs in DEQ's regulatory purview and would require operational capacity and federal‑state coordination before any legislative filing.
