[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 86 (Thursday, June 30, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 30, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
      SCRAP TIRES SHOULD BE RECYCLED AND USED IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION

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                            HON. DICK SWETT

                            of new hampshire

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 30, 1994

  Mr. SWETT. Mr. Speaker, the advent of the automobile opened new 
vistas of opportunity and freedom for Americans by giving them the kind 
of mobility earlier generations could only dream about. But not all of 
the consequences of the age of the automobile have been so positive. 
For automobiles ride on tires, and today we are faced with a surplus 
tire stockpile of between 2 and 3 billion tires. Worse still, this 
stockpile grows by 250 million each year.
  These tires pose a serious threat to our environment. They are bulky 
and fill up our landfills. They do not biodegrade. They catch on fire 
easily. They retain water and create breeding grounds for mosquitos, 
with all the consequent public health problems.
  What is the answer to this problem? The Intermodal Surface 
Transportation Efficiency Act of 1992 [ISTEA]--authored by the Public 
Works and Transportation Committee on which I am proud to serve--
attempted to address this problem by requiring that States begin to 
utilize some of these tires in asphalt paving through the use of a new 
technology which produces a material known as rubberized asphalt, or 
``crumb rubber.''
  The good news is that this new material creates a superior road 
surface which requires less maintenance and will be longer lasting--
characteristics which I believe are important since I think it critical 
that this country move to a life-cycle costing approach to road 
building. The bad news is that this provision of ISTEA has not been 
implemented because of funding ban inserted in recent transportation 
appropriations bills.
  The Public Works and Transportation Committee has attempted to 
resolve this policy impasse in the National Highway System bill (H.R. 
4385) it approved, and the full House passed, earlier this year. The 
compromise language contained in H.R. 4385 is a sincere attempt to 
strike a reasonable compromise on this issue. None of the contending 
parties are entirely happy with the language (section 108), but all are 
agreed that the compromise is better than continued policy paralysis.
  It is my strong hope that this compromise will be reflected in the 
fiscal year 1995 transportation appropriations conference report. I 
urge my colleagues and the transportation appropriations conferees to 
support this workable compromise.

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