City of Houston cracks down on illegal scrap tire operations

New Enforcement Effort will help City Fight Zika

Photo culled from the Houston Chronicle shows tires discarded along Laura Koppe Road at Jensen Street, one of thousands of illegal dumps.
Photo culled from the Houston Chronicle shows tires discarded along Laura Koppe Road at Jensen Street, one of thousands of illegal dumps.
Photo culled from the Houston Chronicle shows tires discarded along Laura Koppe Road at Jensen Street, one of thousands of illegal dumps.

Effective July 1, 2016, the grace period for compliance with the City of Houston’s Scrap Tire Ordinance will expire and enforcement will begin in earnest.  The ordinance, approved by City Council in 2015, requires scrap tire operations to register with the City and establishes regulations and procedures for the safe transportation, storage, recordkeeping and proper disposal of scrap tires

“More than 19,000 tires have been hauled away since February as the City works to clean up illegal dump sites that can serve as breeding grounds for the mosquito-born Zika Virus,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner.  “This is a huge problem in our neighborhoods and we have to attack it from every angle.”

All businesses that are involved in the used/scrap tire business will be required to register and/or obtain a permit annually with the City of Houston. Tire transporters must display a City issued decals on their trucks.  Tire generators must allow inspection of their records annually.  On Friday, inspectors will be visiting businesses to check for compliance.  The cost to register is $93.93 for a business that generate scrap tires and $172 for entities that transport tires.  Owners who refuse to register with the City will be ticketed.  Fines are $250 per day, per offense.

Residents can help reduce scrap tire problems by purchasing retreaded tires and properly maintaining tires to extend their life and increase the chance that they can be retreaded. Keep tires inflated at the recommended inflation level. Under inflation can waste up to 5% of a car’s fuel.  Repair punctures, maintain alignment, and rotate tires every 6,000 – 8,000 miles.

Residents with  tire swings or dock tire bumpers are urged to puncture holes in the tires so they won’t hold water. This will help deter mosquito breeding grounds and prevent water accumulation in tires.

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