Lowndes County leaders take action to curb illegal dumping

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Lowndes County leaders are taking action to curb a tiring problem in areas of the county.

Illegal dumping has been an issue in the county for years, but lately, crews are dealing with more trashed tires.

Old car tires present an environmental hazard wherever they are disposed of, but recent dumps have been made worse because they are close to rivers and creeks.

There is also the added expense of the disposal fee for tires. Supervisors suspect some of the dumpings may be the result of small tire shops and car repair operations trying to get around those fees.

Also, picking up the tires is costing the county in manpower spent on cleaning up the dumps.

And these sites are having an impact on the quality of life for residents.

“What does that say about your community if you’re willing to just chunk a tire out on the side of the road? Really, it’s not good quality of life for the people who have to deal with that, and, especially on a day-to-day basis when you see these tires,” said Trip Hairston, Lowndes County Board of Supervisors President.

The County is looking at a number of options for curbing illegal dumping, from a county-wide recycling operation to stepped-up surveillance around the problem areas.

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