Illinois Environmental Protection Agency issued the following announcement on Sept. 6.
Illinois EPA Director John J. Kim announced the completion of Units of Local Government tire removal actions in the Agency's Rockford and Des Plaines regions. The used tire removal actions are part of the Agency's efforts to assist units of local government in providing and maintaining a healthy environment by removing used tires from public and abandoned properties.
"We are proud of our ongoing work with these communities to remove the hazards that can be found with discarded used tires," said Director Kim. "Ensuring the tires are properly disposed of will improve the local landscape and also reduce the risk of mosquito-borne illnesses by removing the breeding habitats."
In total, 618.31 tons, equivalent to 54,690 passenger tires, of used tires were collected in July and August through used tire removal actions:
• City of Chicago (Grand and Rockwell) in cooperation with the Department of Streets & Sanitation, 443.6 tons.
• City of Chicago (Stony Island) in cooperation with the Department of Streets & Sanitation, 71.91 tons.
• Des Plaines Valley Mosquito Abatement District (Cook County), 7.85 tons.
• Ogle County (Oregon) in cooperation with Solid Waste Department, 10.2 tons.
• Stephenson County (Freeport) in cooperation with the County Health Department, 50.28 tons.
• Kane County in cooperation with the Kane County Recycling Program, 11.97 tons.
• Boone County in cooperation with the Boone County Highway Department, 11.25 tons.
• City of Harvey (Cook County) in cooperation with the Harvey Public Works Department, 4.5 tons.
• Village of Markham (Cook County) in cooperation with the Markham Village Superintendent, 6.75 tons.
These collections are possible through the cooperation of units of local government, who assist in the coordination of the collections, allowing the Agency to properly dispose of the waste tires that have been collected from public properties, including roadsides, public parks and abandoned sites. Dumped tires can contaminate air, land and water and serve as habitats for disease-carrying insects, particularly mosquitoes. Removal of tires throughout the year will further reduce the threat of mosquito-borne diseases. Through the Used Tire Program, used tires are properly disposed of at a registered, commercial used tire processing facility in Illinois. Some tires are retreaded and reused, and others are recycled into a variety of products and uses. The Illinois EPA's Used Tire Program is funded by a $2.50 per tire fee that consumers pay when purchasing tires at retail.
Original source can be found here.
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