Bill to Aid in Clean-Up of Waste Tire Piles Sent to Governor 

Harrisburg – A bill to aid in the clean-up of waste tire piles across Pennsylvania now just needs Governor Rendell’s signature, according to Senator Lisa Baker, R-20.  The measure will help municipalities remove waste tire piles that are a danger to the environment and public safety. 

"These piles are mosquito breeding grounds that could lead to the spread of West Nile Virus," Baker said.  "They are also prone to fires that are very difficult to extinguish and produce toxic air emissions and harmful groundwater runoff." 

Funding for tire cleanups expired in 2001 despite there being at least 39 piles throughout the Commonwealth with at least 10,000 tires each.  Several contain hundreds of thousands of tires. 

Senator Baker has pushed for the measure for more than two years. 

"There was considerable cooperation to come up with a solution that makes sense for the environment and our public health and safety," she said.