California Passes Legislation Addressing Tire Recycling in Mexico

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed Senate Bill 167, which allows funds from California Integrated Waste Management Board’s Tire Recycling Fund to be used on education, infrastructure, clean up, prevention, reuse and recycling of tires on the California-Mexico border, including Mexico.

The Fund uses a $1 fee on all new tires sold in the state. Money collected through the program is used to boost tire recycling programs in the state.

Senator Denise Ducheny, author of the bill, notes that the diversion of waste tires from the United States to Mexico continues to be a huge problem in the border region and this bill provides another option for attacking this problem. These tires and the pollution from them eventually end up back in California, in our oceans, streams and rivers. The bill requires that these activities be included in the Waste Board’s 5 year strategic plan on waste tire pollution mitigation.

“Waste tire pollution creates huge impacts on California’s waterways. I am happy we were able to find a solution to deal with this important public health issue in the border region,” stated Ducheny. “Addressing the problem early and working on collaborative projects in the region will help us eliminate this tremendous problem.”