Used tires reportedly are increasingly being illegally dumped at many locations around the D.C. area.
“I’ve noticed as I drive around the Metropolitan area more and more tire piles popping up,” a source told News4.
The source, who asked not to be identified, explained local tire processing facilities have stopped accepting the tires from smaller businesses.
“The governments have claimed that it’s many issues related to the pandemic, but specifically the cost of disposal, equipment breakdowns, infrastructure issues,” he said. “They don’t have a plan B. It’s just, we’re not going to take them for now.”
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He said it’s not just an issue at landfills. So-called fly-by-night tire disposal teams are showing up at businesses, offering to get rid of the tires for a fee and then just throwing them where they want.
“I think it’s probably happening in urban areas more than suburban areas, but anywhere there’s a spot where people aren’t paying attention, tires are being dumped,” the source said.
Prince William County officials say part of the issue has to do with tire disposal plants that have shut down in other states, and now there is a glut of tires showing up in Virginia.
Transportation
Reporter Adam Tuss and the News4 team are covering you down on the roads and in transit.
Tires that sit around can become a huge problem for the environment – everything from the potential for tire fires to breeding grounds for mosquitoes that can carry disease.
