Pennsylvania DEP Works with Counties to Eliminate Tire Piles

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is working with Indiana County and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to facilitate a cleanup of 37,000 abandoned tires located on a farm in Center Township, Indiana County.

“Abandoned tires are a nuisance that collect water and provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes,” DEP Southwest Regional Director Kenneth Bowman said. “The property owner is anxious to remove these tires. DEP is working with its partners to get these tires to the Tarrtown Road and bridge project where they can be chipped and recycled.”

More than 10 years ago, the property owner, John Weyandt, went away on vacation and came back to find thousands of tires illegally dumped on his property. With the help of DEP, Weyandt voluntarily has funded the removal of the tires from his property. Weyandt has hired Alexander Excavating to load and haul the tires to the Tarrtown bridge project in Armstrong County at an estimated cost of $40,000 to $50,000.

“I am extremely pleased with the cooperation and help that I have received from DEP and the Indiana County West Nile Program team,” Weyandt said. “These tires will be recycled and put to good use, and they will be off my property so I can use it for something else.”

Indiana County West Nile Coordinator Bob Pollick said: “Our program has been tasked with minimizing mosquitoes all over Indiana County. With the proximity of this pile to the population centers of Indiana Borough and White Township, the removal and disposal of these tires will be a big help in reducing the mosquitoes. All of the partners involved have worked together creatively to make this happen.”