DeKalb hosting tire disposal events
The DeKalb County Sanitation Division and the Tire Management Unit of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division will host two tire amnesty day events Sept. 14 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
According to county officials, the event is designed to help reduce tire disposals at the county-owned Seminole Road Landfill and commercial dumpsters as well as reduce the amount of illegal dumping of tires in streams, rivers and other areas.
DeKalb County residents will have the opportunity to dispose of light-duty truck and car tires. County workers will collect tires at the DeKalb County Tax Commissioner’s Office parking lot on Memorial Drive in Decatur and the Seminole Road Landfill on Clevemont Road in Ellenwood.
Tire recycling services will be provided by Quality Tire Recycling Inc. and Liberty Tire Recycling LLC. All tires collected will be recycled for other applications.
The events are free and only open to DeKalb County residents. Proof of residency may be requested.
Metro South Community Improvement District (MSCID) and Keep DeKalb Beautiful recently removed 1,100 tires along Lancaster and Old McDonough roads.
MSCID president Emory Morsberger said he’s happy about the tire collection efforts to help prevent illegal dumping in the county.
“We have been working as a partnership for the last six months to clean up a lot of areas that have been ignored,” Morsberger said. “We’ve had contractors pulling tires and cleaning up and we’ve been working on some of the worst eyesores in the areas. Things are moving forward quickly in DeKalb.”
Morsberger said before partnering with DeKalb County he used to see piles of tires in the MSCID area, located on the southwest region of DeKalb.
“Recently I saw just a dozen tires in about 15 miles. I think it’s exciting to see what’s happening with this partnership. The property owners and county government are coming together. We’re here for the long haul,” Morsberger said.
Along with being an eyesore, county officials said improperly disposed tires can be a health risk. Rainwater can collect in illegally dumped tires and increase the possibility of illnesses such as Zika, West Nile, and dengue fever. Tires can also become an ignition source for fires and cause air pollution, according to a county news release.
