Alabama
Passes Scrap Tire Rules
As of Oct 1 anyone hauling, receiving or collecting
tires in Alabama must be licensed and keep detailed records
on where the tires go, according to HB 387 a new scrap tire
law passed by the Alabama legislature in June. Government entities
and individuals are exempt from the license requirements but
must comply with the rules regarding receipt and disposal of
scrap tires.
The tire
bill, sponsored by Rep. Mac Gipson, Jr. (R-Prattville) also
sets up a Scrap Tire Study Commission. Gipson, who is himself
a tire dealer, said the goal of the study commission is two
pronged - to get a handle on the extent of illegal stockpiles
and dumping in the state and to develop plans for the environmentally
safe removal of existing scrap tires in Alabama.
Gipson pointed
out that an earlier attempt by the legislature to quantify the
number of scrap tires stockpiled in the state was ineffective.
"What happened," he explained, "in 1997 the legislature
directed the Alabama Department of Environmental Management
(ADEM) to survey how many scrap tires were in piles throughout
the state but we (the legislature) didn't give ADEM any money
to fund the survey".
In addition
to the study commission, the new law called the Scrap Tire Licensing
and Disposal Act provides for enforcement of the rules and sets
penalties for violations. Under the new law, county governments
will have primary responsibility for scrap tire management,
including licensing, record keeping and enforcement.
The legislation
requires tire haulers to post a $2,000 bond for a license while
collectors and receivers must put a $10,000 bond. Anyone caught
without a license will be fined $500. Illegal dumpers, if caught,
will have to pay a $300 fine, plus $5 per tire dumped.
According
to the Association of County Commissioners of Alabama, which
helped write the legislation, county officials will begin inspecting
businesses sometime after the October 1 licensing deadline to
make sure they're complying with the law.
