HR0188 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0188 LRB094 11327 HSS 42155 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Each year in the United States, over 285,000,000 automobile tires require disposal; and

WHEREAS, Of that figure, only 33,000,000 tires are re-treaded and only 22,000,000 are reused and resold; and

WHEREAS, Another 42,000,000 are put to various other uses, leaving over 188,000,000 used tires to clog our nation's landfills and to be left in illegal dumps; and

WHEREAS, The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the current domestic used tire problem amounts to over 3,000,000,000 tires; and

WHEREAS, Markets that currently use recycled tires are completely saturated and cannot absorb larger quantities of the excess; alternate markets need to be developed; and

WHEREAS, Various states, including Alaska, Arizona, California, and Tennessee, have been studying the use of scrap tire rubber in asphalt and implementing its use widely for over the past decade; and

WHEREAS, These programs have yielded wildly successful results in the savings of millions of dollars over time in maintenance and re-paving costs; and

WHEREAS, Action on this issue now will not only save taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in landfill costs and in road maintenance fees, but will also provide for the public health and safety in environmental terms; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we request that the Illinois Department of Transportation conduct a comprehensive study on the use of scrap tire rubber in the paving practices of the State and all units of local government in the State; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the results of the study be reported back to the House of Representatives no later than June 1, 2006; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be provided to the Illinois Secretary of Transportation.