Enact legislation which requires that fifty percent of the Solid Waste Disposal Fee presently distributed to the Council of Governments (COG’s) be dedicated to help local governments with the enforcement, collection and disposal of used tires in the COG’s municipalities.

The importance of proper tire disposal cannot be overstated in that it is not just an environmental and sanitation issue but also a very serious health issue. Abandoned tires that hold stagnant water serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes that further pose a widespread threat of Dengue, West Nile Virus and other vector borne diseases. In 1997, the State of Texas abandoned the tire waste disposal program. Since then, each municipality is responsible for the enforcement and disposal of legally and illegally discarded tires, but does not receive any funding to administer such a program. Because of the serious health threat, the City of Laredo spends over $100,000 a year removing tires from its jurisdiction.

Landfills are required to pay a state fee of $1.25 per ton for incoming solid waste to the TCEQ. The fees are distributed to the Council of Governments (COG’s) who use a portion of these revenues to fund administrative costs to assist local governments in the COG. The remaining funds are distributed in the form of grants for Solid Waste Programs. The State should require that fifty percent of these funds be used to help cover the cost of tire disposal and enforcement programs in the municipality.