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SR 238

A RESOLUTION urging the Energy and Environment Cabinet to explore and implement strategies to remove waste tires from Kentucky’s streams and waterways.

2025 Regular Session

Urges Kentucky to remove waste tires from waterways by exploring strategies, with a written report on removal, recycling, and potential legislative options due by Dec 1, 2025.

adopted
#environmentandconservation #legislativeresearchcommission #stateagencies #wastemanagement #waterwaysanddams
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Bill Summary · SR 238

Summary — SR 238 (2025): Urging removal of waste tires from Kentucky waterways

Status: Adopted (Senate Resolution)
Introduced: March 10, 2025 (Senate)
Primary sponsors: RaShaun Kemp, Ed Harbison, Derek Mallow, Freddie Powell Sims, Harold Jones II, Gail Davenport, Graciela Guzmán

Purpose / Intent

SR 238 is a non‑binding Senate resolution urging the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet to explore and implement strategies to remove waste tires from the Commonwealth’s streams, rivers, creeks, and other waterways. The resolution highlights environmental, public‑health, community‑quality, and economic harms caused by illegally dumped or flood‑transported tires and calls for action to remove, recycle, and repurpose them.

Key findings cited in the resolution

  • Kentucky has about 90,000 miles of waterways.
  • Approximately 4 million waste tires are generated annually in Kentucky — about one tire per resident.
  • Tires in waterways do not naturally decompose and can release toxins (including microplastics and chemical constituents), posing water‑quality and human‑health risks.
  • Tire pollution degrades communities, reduces recreational access (fishing, boating), and causes economic harms.

Main provisions / requests

  • Urges the Energy and Environment Cabinet to explore and implement strategies for removing waste tires from Kentucky’s waterways.
  • Encourages the Cabinet to compile a written report that includes:
    • Findings from the Cabinet’s exploration,
    • Recommended strategies for removal, recycling, and repurposing,
    • Legislative recommendations (if any) to address the problem.
  • Requires the Cabinet to submit that report to the Legislative Research Commission on or before December 1, 2025.
  • Directs the Clerk of the Senate to transmit a copy of the adopted resolution and notification of adoption to the Secretary of the Energy and Environment Cabinet (300 Sower Boulevard, Frankfort, KY 40601).

Legal effect and limitations

  • As a Senate resolution, SR 238 is advisory/encouraging rather than legally binding; it does not appropriate funds or create new statutory obligations by itself.
  • Implementation, funding, and any regulatory or statutory changes would require subsequent executive action or legislation.

Who is affected / potential impacts

  • Directly encouraged to act: Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet; Legislative Research Commission (report recipient).
  • Indirectly affected: local governments, waste‑tire processors and recyclers, environmental and community groups, recreation/tourism businesses, and residents near impacted waterways.
  • Potential outcomes: coordinated cleanup efforts, proposals for funding or incentives to recycle/repurpose tires, procurement/contracts for tire removal, and possible future legislation to address funding or enforcement gaps.

Timeline / procedural notes

  • Report due to the Legislative Research Commission by December 1, 2025.
  • Resolution was adopted by the Senate in March–April 2025 (filed with Secretary April 23, 2025 per legislative actions).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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