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Thursday, September 2, 1999 ■ B to smoke out• fitres at pfles New law to help seg as a constant reminder of why this bill should have been officials remove Cali orniaa Integ ated Waste Management Board had been try- illegal dumps ing to get access to the Tracy pile to clean it up since 1994, but By Jonathan Partridge fights with the owner about Tracy Press whether the pile was subject to In a move to prevent tire fires the state's fire-pile laws kept the like the one that has been burn- CIWMB at bay." ing outside Tracy for more than a Bowen wrote a similar bill a i year, Gov. Gray Davis signed a bill year ago, which was vetoed by Wednesday allowing state officials then-Gov. Pete Wilson.Wilson said to remove illegal tire piles without the bill was unnecessary, because going through the criminal court the government already had the system first. power to clean up potential health E Senate Bill 1055, by Sen. Debra hazards. Patrick Johnston, D- Bowen, D-Marina del Rey, gives the California Integrated Waste Stockton, supported the bill both 0. times it went through the Management Board the right to g remove illegal tire piles after Legislature. He said he was receiving permission from a state Pleased with Davis' decision to administrative law judge. sign the bill. "This will shave six to 12 "The ticking time bomb of the months off the process of getting fire near Tracy was a worry to access to illegal fire piles," she everyone," he said. said. "The waste board estimates Waste management board o®- that five to 10 illegal California cials also were pleased with the tire piles will be cleaned up much bill's success- quicker as a result of this mea- "This will give us access to tire sure:' piles that we were not able to Bowen hopes the new law will clean up in the past," said John prevent incidents like the August Frith, spokesman for the board in 1998 S.F. Royster Tire Disposal Sacramento. "It's definitely a step Facility fire near Tracy. in the right direction. "The Tracy tire pile is the "This gives the waste board the Energizer Bunny of tire fires—it's same access that the state toxics been burning and burning and and water boards have had in the burning for more than a year, past."