Tire Cleanup Begins in N.J.

Work began earlier this week on the cleanup of more than 700 tons of tires from the Perona Brothers yard in Mullica Township, N.J. The goal of the project is two- fold, according to Dennis Levinson, county executive. One step is eliminating breeding grounds for mosquitoes that may carry diseases such as West Nile virus and eliminating a known fire hazard.

Atlantic County awarded a $105,000 contract for the work to Ocean County Recycling Center of Toms River last December. The company has 90 days to remove and dispose of an estimated 75,000 - 100,000 tires, about two-thirds of the tires on site.

Funding for the cleanup was provided through the state's Scrap Tire Fund Entitlement Program, a statewide initiative to help combat the spread of West Nile virus by helping counties remove abandoned tires. The county previously collected nearly 9,000 scrap tires in a six-month period through municipal tire roundups and residential tire amnesty days, also funded by the state program.