Improper disposal of tires is one of the largest environmental safety hazards facing the State of Ohio.

The issue is such a problem the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has an entire division dedicated to cleaning up the tires.

“I’ve been doing this a long time and I’m still amazed at the illegal tire dumping sites we find,” said Lawrence Scioto Solid Waste Management District coordinator, Dan Palmer. “The EPA has really got out in front of the problem and does a great job across the state. But, the local entities have to be involved as well.”

The LSSWMD has been working with Fayette, Union and Rome townships since the middle of January to cleanup discarded tires in central and eastern Lawrence County. So far nearly 2,000 tires have been collected and removed for proper disposal.

“So far we’ve cleaned up over 1,800 tires,” Palmer said. “By the time we are finished with this clean up at the end of the month we expect to collect well over 2,000 tires. The townships have really helped out; we’ve all worked together. It’s been a total team effort.”

The cleanup is part of the Consensual Scrap Tire Agreement, which means the Ohio EPA will dispose and recycle the tires that the LSSWMD and the townships collect. This cleanup comes on the heels of another tire cleanup effort on Ben Howell Road earlier this year.

“It’s an ongoing problem. One we have to constantly be vigilant of,” Palmer said. “People don’t realize the issues illegally dumping tires can cause. These tires have adverse effects on the environment and they are a major fire hazard.”

The LSSWMD has several upcoming events that are designed to get Lawrence County residents involved in cleanup efforts throughout the county.

To see what is planned for the spring and summer you can visit www.lsswmd.org and click on the events calendar.