Image: Tri-City Herald
Tire dealers, many of whom are family-owned small businesses, have faithfully collected the state’s waste tire fees since 2005 to support the prevention and cleanup of waste tire piles across Washington. Last December, WR’s tire members brought to our attention many existing waste tire piles, including the 7,100-ton Twin Bridge pile in Richland.
In partnership with our tire members and the NW Auto Care Alliance, WR engaged Senator Dozier to highlight the significant public health and the environment risks posed by the Twin Bridge pile in his district. WR also advocated for a holistic approach to address the tires’ environmental impact during legislative hearings on HB 2421/SB 6119. We succeeded in drawing their attention to the Department of Ecology’s 2023 report and reinforcing Twin Bridge as a top cleanup priority cited in that report.
We are grateful for the leadership and responsiveness of Representative Zach Hall, and the Chairs and Ranking Chairs of the House and Senate’s Capital Budget committees. The final Capital Budget (SSB 6003) appropriated $3.2 Million, the full amount needed to complete the Twin Bridge cleanup.
This outcome reflects the proactive leadership of WR members and the Legislature’s commitment to address known environmental hazards using existing funding tools.
