River Friends volunteer and board member Don Hall removes one of several a discarded tires from the Chemung River in Elmira during an Oct. 17 River Friends tire cleanup.
Here’s an idea that should be implemented elsewhere across NY State:
There are thousands of used tires discarded in Chemung County each year, and some of those tires are illegally thrown in rivers, dumped in fields or tossed over road embankments.
Those tires will now be recycled through a new partnership that could save Chemung County up to $2,500 a year.
The Friends of the Chemung River Watershed (River Friends), Firestone Complete Auto Care in Elmira , Chemung County Soil & Water Conservation District, and the Chemung County Highway Association recently joined forces to remove and recycle tires.
The Firestone dealership, at 49 S. Main St., has generously agreed to accept, at no charge, used car and small truck tires that the county obtains during its annual tire collection day. In addition, Firestone will accept all tires that River Friends removes from our rivers and streams during the organization’s many riverside cleanups.
“We always find tires thrown in the rivers when we do cleanups,” said Jim Pfiffer, executive director of the River Friends in Elmira. “This new program makes it easier and less expensive for us to dispose of those tires and to recycle them. That’s great for the environment.”
In the past, Chemung County had to pay $2,000 to $2,500 annually to dispose of the tires it received during its tire collection day. The money saved will be used to continue to improve our environment. The used tires are ground up and used to make playground surfaces and a base for new roads.
“This is a great program and partnership that saves the county money,” said Mark Watts, District Manager of the Chemung County Soil & Water Conservation Program. “It allows residents to discard tires in a responsible manner and keeps them from polluting our countryside.”
The 2013 tire collection day will be held on a Saturday in May and will be open to all Chemung County residents, but it is not open to businesses. The date and location of the event will not be publicized until residents register for the event to prevent people from illegally dropping off tires at the disposal site. The event is sponsored by Chemung County Soil & Water Conservation District and the Chemung County Highway Association.
For more information on the tire collection day and program, contact the Chemung County Soil & Water Conservation District at (607) 739-2009.
