Tires don’t belong in our rivers. Yet across Kentucky’s 90,000 miles of waterways, millions of discarded tires are choking our streams, threatening wildlife, and putting public health at risk. Every year, more tires are illegally dumped, swept away by floods, or rolled down hillsides — and without stronger laws, the problem will only grow worse.

For years, Kentuckians have stepped up to clean the mess. From the Red River to the Tug Fork, local volunteers have pulled thousands of tires from riverbeds. But no matter how many they remove, more keep coming. That’s because cleanup alone isn’t enough. We need prevention, stronger oversight, and statewide investment to stop this crisis at the source.

Right now, Kentucky’s Waste Tire Program is at risk of losing most of its funding unless the General Assembly renews a $2-per-tire recycling fee. But we can’t stop there. Advocates and environmental experts are calling on lawmakers to finally pass meaningful legislation that:

• Closes loopholes for used tire sellers who currently escape oversight;
• Increases tire cleanup grants to counties so they can keep up with the scale of dumping;
• Supports waterway tire removal projects with dedicated funding;
• And strengthens enforcement against illegal dumping, especially in remote areas.

These are common-sense protections supported across party lines. Every community deserves safe, healthy rivers and streams, and every citizen deserves a government that protects our natural resources.

We urge members of the Kentucky General Assembly to act now. Extend and expand the Waste Tire Program. Fund local cleanups. Close the loopholes. And finally give Kentuckians the clean water and safe environment they deserve.