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For Immediate Release
April 21, 2010
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White: Senate Approves Funding for Recycling, Tire Pile Cleanup  

Harrisburg – The state Senate today approved legislation that would extend funding for municipal recycling and the cleanup of tire piles across Pennsylvania, according to Sen. Mary Jo White (R-21).  

House Bill 961 extends implementation of a $2 per ton recycling fee from 2012 until 2020. The fee is paid by trash haulers to use landfills, and the revenue is used to fund recycling efforts in Pennsylvania municipalities.  

The measure also allocates $1.25 million annually for the next three years to fund waste tire pile cleanup across the commonwealth. The bill also requires an annual report on the progress of cleaning up tire piles, which are a public danger, risking fires and the spread of the West Nile Virus. 

"Recycling and cleaning up tire piles are two initiatives that impact local communities, and it's important to provide this funding mechanism for the years ahead," said White, who chairs the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. The committee approved similar legislation last year.  

The legislation, which is supported by the state Department of Environmental Protection, goes to the Houses of Representatives for consideration.

CONTACT:

Patrick Henderson
(717) 787-9684