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Illegally dumped tires have long been a problem in Houston.
A newly proposed ordinance aims to change that by establishing new regulations for businesses that store and transport scrap tires.
Cora Johnson addressed the council during the public session Tuesday. She lives in the Carverdale area in northwest Houston and says dumped tires are a big problem there.
"We have people coming in, bringing in their tires, during the day or late at night or whenever," she said, "and putting them either on vacant lots or if you have some out near our clean-up time, they will come and make a big pile."
Mayor Annise Parker said the proposed ordinance is a start but not a cure-all for the problem, because it only ensures tire companies play by the rules.
"We're still going to have to be vigilant about the individuals who change their own tires and they may decide not to take them to a depository but to dump them on a neighborhood," Parker said.
The City Council is also expected to discuss an ordinance to limit the time large vehicles can run their engines at idle.
The goal is to curb air pollution.