SB 1089: Shrinking Idaho’s tire piles (2025)
Summary: Senate Bill 1089 seeks to encourage the recycling and utilization of waste tires in Idaho.
ICL's position: Support
Current Bill Status: Returned to Committee
Issue Areas: Clean Water, Counties, Private Land, Public Safety, Sustainability, Water Quality
Senator Mark Harris (R-Soda Springs) introduced Senate Bill 1089 as a solution to reduce the growing piles of tire waste around Idaho. The bill repeals the existing Idaho Waste Tire Disposal Act, which has resulted in at least 22 abandoned tire waste piles in Idaho. Abandoned tires are a problem, because they can leach dangerous chemicals into the ground and water, are a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other disease-bearing insects, and are a fire hazard.
The only fee increase proposed by the bill is a new $.50 waste tire recycling fee per tire, which is then used to incentivize waste tire recycling and utilization efforts.
To preclude out of state individuals or companies from dumping tires in Idaho, the proposal limits any tire recycling reimbursements to tires generated by Idahoans or from Idaho retailers.
Finally, the bill has a sunset of three years, after which time the changes will expire, and Idaho will return to the prior way of managing waste tire piles.
