From 1995 to 1997, more than 1.5 million tires were removed for proper disposal from dumps containing an estimated total of 18.5 million waste tires. Dearborn County contains one of the two largest tire dumps in the state. The facility contains over 1 million tires. The county is also home to a smaller tire dump containing less than 100,000 tires. Tire dumps can be of concern for many reasons.
Scrap tires do a good job of holding stagnant rainwater in a protective environment.
These proliferous mosquito breeders work very well and present a formidable health problem. The protected environment of a tire pile is also an ideal place for rats to breed. The rats provide ideal food for snakes, who like to inhabit the piles. Another major concern is the potential for a catastrophic fire in a tire pile. These fires are difficult and sometimes impossible to control and can last for long periods of time.