Advocates push deposit-and-redeem plan to curb interstate tire dumping; DEQ capacity questioned

Public speakers at Sen. Regina Barrow27s task force meeting urged state action to stop chronic illegal tire dumping and offered an incentive-based approach that would flip the current disposal-fee model.

Volunteer Matt Thomas, who described seven years of cleanup work, told the task force volunteers had removed "4 tons of tires" from local hot spots and urged an economic incentive to get people to return tires rather than rely on penalty-based enforcement. "What we need to do is change it to an incentive program where they return the tires to places where it's supposed to go and they get rewarded," he said.

Thomas and several mayors and community leaders described interstate dumping as a frequent tactic by organized haulers who move loads at night and abandon tires in hot spots. "It's sophisticated," Mayor Waits said, noting camera placement and enforcement are often evaded.

Thomas recommended a system requiring a deposit or disposal fee up front when tires or vehicles cross into the state; that deposit would be refunded to people or communities that turn in tires properly. He said the same mechanism could let tire shops and transporters reclaim deposits when they properly process tires. "If they don't have the paperwork to prove that they're legal, you can cite them right then," he said, outlining highway or point-of-entry enforcement.

Task force members asked about practical and fiscal mechanics. Committee members noted that the state currently collects disposal fees when new tires are sold or when tire stores receive used tires, but that the flow of those fees and whether they fund processing is unclear: "We do not know how much money has been collected by DEQ," one member said.

Speakers said DEQ and permitted processors told the group the state has only a handful of active processors and limited capacity to convert tires into recyclable materials at scale. "They do not have the capability to process that many tires," a speaker summarized from DEQ's attorney, adding processors are reimbursed only for recycled materials tied to approved projects, not merely for collection.

Panelists suggested next steps: separate dedicated hearings on tires to include DEQ, DOTD and processors; explore a front-end deposit and disposal-fee system tied to reimbursement for processing; and coordinate funding and storage logistics for large collections. The chair committed to follow up with DEQ and to consider a resolution to study the issue further in the interim.

The task force took no legislative action at the hearing and will revisit tire policy in future, more focused hearings.