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. I n 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.