The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and local government organizations throughout the Metro East region recently completed a used tire removal project that cleared approximately 23,000 tires from the area, an IEPA release said.
The IEPA and the St. Clair County Health Department sponsored an area-wide tire collection in Lebanon, where local units of government were able to deposit used tires gathered in their jurisdictions. In total, the program collected more than 288 tons of used tires, including nearly 163 tons from East St. Louis, the release said.
Used tires can create health risks for local communities due to their potential to pollute air, land and water. They can also create an ideal environment for mosquitoes and other disease-carrying insects, making it critical to remove used tires before spring. Tires collected through the program are handed over to a tire processing facility, where they are shredded, recycled or retreaded and reused, the release said.
“This program is a success thanks to the coordinated efforts of our local government partners,” IEPA Director Alec Messina said in the release. “These collections are necessary to remove the hazards of used tires from our communities.”
