State regulators and local governments in northern Illinois have removed more than 600 tons of dumped tires.
John Kim is director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. He announced last week that the haul in five counties amounted to nearly 55,000 tires.
Kim says the work improves local landscapes and reduces the risk of diseases carried by mosquitoes who breed in water that stagnates in the tires.
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The EPA worked with officials in Chicago, Harvey, Markham, the Des Plaines Valley Mosquito Abatement District and Boone, Kane, Ogle and Stephenson counties to pick up tires in July and August.
The Used Tire Program is funded by a $2.50-per-tire retail purchase fee. Tires are taken to registered processing facilities which retread some and recycle others into a variety of products.
