Publication Summary

Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2085, passed in the 2005 legislative session, directed the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) to conduct a study of unauthorized tire piles in Washington. The legislature required this study to be completed and submitted by Ecology to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature by November 15, 2005. The report and appendices present a detailed discussion of how this information was collected and assembled.

This study identified 54 sites statewide with unauthorized accumulations of scrap tires. Site mapping was completed and the number of scrap tires was estimated. One site (Goldendale-Tire Shredders) accounts for more than two-thirds of the calculated scrap tires and more than half of the total estimated cleanup costs. Of the 54 sites, only five require more than 10 estimated on-site days to complete the individual cleanups.

Based on projected funds generated by ESHB 2085, a $0.40 funding level should be sufficient to finance the identified cleanups within a five-year period. This assumes smaller sites can be bundled into one contract, with several contracts managed concurrently. Higher funding rates will allow for faster cleanup completions.

Information identified by this study indicates the Department of Ecology should be recognized as the lead agency responsible for the management and completion of the site cleanups, adopting the outlined plan presented in this report.