It is estimated that 4,100,000 waste tires are generated annually in Tennessee and several million waste tires are currently stockpiled or illegally dumped across the state. In addition to littering our landscape and marring the natural beauty of Tennessee s hills and stream banks, the improper disposal of whole tires often results in health and environmental hazards.
Whole tires provide convenient habitats for rodents.
They hold water and become excellent breeding grounds for mosquitoes that carry diseases. Improperly stored tires present a fire hazard. They trap oxygen that will constantly feed the flames which emit noxious, air polluting smoke. When tires are illegally burned, oils and soot can run off and contaminate both surface and ground water. Whole tires are banned from being disposed in a landfill.