House Information Office

Room 505, Legislative Office Building

Atlanta, Georgia 30334

3-2002-5160

404-656-5082 1-800-282-5800

March 19, 2004

For Immediate Release

House Passes Mosley's Resolution

Environmental Trust Fund Would be created with Voter Approval

Atlanta Representative Hinson Mosley, D-Jesup announces the House has passed HR 1425 which, with voter approval, would create the Georgia Solid Waste and Hazardous Waste Trust Response Trust Fund. A constitutional amendment would have to be approved in November to create the trust fund that would dedicate fees for tire removal and clean up of hazardous dump sites. Specifically, The measure would prohibit fees generated to be used in the state's general fund.

The General Assembly created two environmental trust funds in 1992 to raise money for needed cleanup projects. The Hazardous Waste Trust Fund is generated from landfill fees, 65 cent per ton, paid by hazardous waste generators. The Solid Waste Trust Fund comes from a $1 fee on each tire sold in Georgia. Some of the money generated by the fees collected from two separate trust funds for clean up has been transferred into the general fund for other use.

The hazardous-waste fund used to clean up dump sites has been yielding about $12 million annually and the solid-waste fund has produced about $6 million a year. But in 2003, about $3.6 million was used to fund programs in the state budget. At the same time, budget writers zeroed out the Solid Waste Trust Fund, arguing that the vast majority of illegal scrap-tire dumps that prompted the program had been cleaned up. This left many counties to come up with funding on their own.

"We promised that we would clean up piles of old tires and hazardous dump sites with the fees generated from a $1 per tire charge and 65 cent per ton dumping charge. There are about 58 counties we owe money to because we have moved money to the general fund," said Mosley. "I believe we should keep our promise because we owe it to the people of Georgia. I hope voters approve this measure on the November ballot."

The legislation had the backing of a diverse group of state associations. They included the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the Sierra Club, Association of County Commissioners of Georgia, Georgia Municipal Association and the Southern Environmental Law Center.

Rep. Mosley, a lawmaker since 1992, is Vice-Chairman of the Transportation Committee and serves on the Appropriations, Policy and Human Relations and Aging committees.
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For further information please contact Rep. Mosley @ 404-657-8442