1Urging the City of Philadelphia to establish a year-round
2program providing for the safe removal and adequate disposal
3of illegally discarded waste tires.

4WHEREAS, The House of Representatives notes the various
5issues associated with the improper disposal of waste tires,
6including the economic, environmental and health impact that it
7poses to the landscape, property values and citizens of
8Philadelphia; and

9WHEREAS, The House of Representatives acknowledges that there
10exists a critical need for the City of Philadelphia to implement
11a year-round tire cleanup program and to invest or participate
12in environmentally safe tire recycling programs established
13within this Commonwealth; and

14WHEREAS, Waste tires pose an even greater threat to the
15health and welfare of the citizens of Philadelphia as they
16collect rain water and serve as an optimal habitat for breeding
17mosquitoes, which may be the carriers of the potentially fatal

1West Nile virus; and

2WHEREAS, Additional dangers such as waste tire pile fires are
3equally hazardous and often release toxic gases into the
4atmosphere which adversely affect the lives of human beings and
5the surrounding ecosystem; and

6WHEREAS, On March 14, 1996, the smoldering waste tire pile
7fire that occurred near an I-95 overpass in Philadelphia is
8proof of the impact of waste tire pollution; and

9WHEREAS, According to the Pennsylvania Department of
10Environmental Protection, in 1996 it was estimated that 36
11million waste tires were discarded in piles throughout
12Pennsylvania; and

13WHEREAS, Notwithstanding the successful collaboration between
14the General Assembly, the Pennsylvania Department of
15Environmental Protection and local governments in past years, it
16is estimated that there are approximately 2.43 million waste
17tires that remain to be cleaned up in this Commonwealth; and

18WHEREAS, The establishment of a year-round waste tire removal
19program would effectively address the public health issues and
20have a positive impact upon our environment as a result of safe
21and proper waste tire disposal through the use of tire
22remediation facilities; and

23WHEREAS, The House of Representatives encourages the City of
24Philadelphia to increase the scope of its current "Tire Round
25Up" program by evolving it into a year-round program; and

26WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia is further encouraged to
27work closely with its city officials and to seek grants
28allocated for the purpose of funding beautification projects and
29other environmentally oriented programs; therefore be it

30RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge the City of

1Philadelphia to establish a year-round waste tire removal
2program for the purpose of safely and adequately disposing of
3illegally discarded waste tires.