H E A L T H · T H R E A T

Waste Tire Glut
Targeted by Rules

Louisiana Addresses Problem of 40 Million Discarded Tires

By Marilee Mayhall

AN ESTIMATED 40 MILLION OLD TIRES, DISCARDED
 
 
over the last 10 years, dot the Louisiana landscape, posing health hazards and leaving their unsightly mark. The waste-tire glut is a common problem in states throughout the nation, but Louisiana is taking serious steps to combat it through the development of effective waste-tire regulations.

Discarded tires are a twofold threat to human health: (1) They serve as breeding areas for mosquitoes, which can spread disease. (2) When piles of tires catch fire, the acrid black smoke that escapes into the air contains fine particles of carbon and may cause problems for persons with respiratory conditions. Chemicals used to extinguish such fires may contaminate nearby streams, rivers, or groundwater.

In 1989, Act 185 of the Louisiana Legislature set the stage for waste-tire regulation in the state. It required collectors of waste tires to notify DEQ of their site location and size and the approximate number of tires accumulated at the site. The act also made it illegal to deposit whole waste tires in a landfill. Whole tires are difficult to compact and therefore consume valuable landfill space.

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