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T.I.R.E.D. of Tires
Tire Initiative to Reduce and Eliminate Dumping
Did you know that illegal dumping of tires is a FELONY?
Atlanta, Georgia 2012
A project of NPU-V & NPU-L in partnership with ECO-Action
Illegal Tire Dumping
Tires found in NPU-V’s
Mechanicsville Neighborhood
The Facts
• Approximately 275
• In Georgia alone in 2010,
million tires are
approximately 9 million
discarded each year
scrap tires were produced.
across the United States.
It is estimated that 1 million
of those were illegally
• In 2003, the EPA estimated
dumped.
that 27 million are dumped
illegally in landfills.
• Around 15% of scrap
Additionally, scrap tires are
tires are returned to
also illegally dumped at
customers.
other locations.
• As of 2007, 128 million
scrap tires were in
stockpiles.
The Neighborhoods
NPU-V
Total Population: 14,198
http://174.37.215.145/client_resources/government/planni
ng/2010census/2010censusbroch_npu_v.pdf
NPU-L
Total Population: 6,148
http://174.37.215.145/client_resources/government/planni
ng/2010census/2010censusbroch_npu_l.pdf
Community Snapshot
Average Population by Ethnicity NPU-V & NPU-L (%)
4%
6%
3%
White
Hispanic / Latino
African American
Other
87%
Total Population
NPU-L & NPU-V = 20,346
Sources: City of Atlanta 2010 Census Summary Report
http://174.37.215.145/client_resources/government/planning/2010census/2010censusbroch_n
pu_l.pdf
Median Age (years) 2010
28.1
30.3
33.3
NPU-L
NPU-V
City of
Atlanta
35.3
37.2
State of
Georgia
United
States
Population Over 65 years of age by
NPU (%) 2010
17.5%
17.0%
Percent of
Population
Over 65 years
of age
16.5%
16.0%
15.5%
15.0%
NPU-V
NPU-L
Average Gross Income 2010 ($)
51,914
United States
23,050
U.S. National Poverty Line
49,347
State of Georgia
24,483
NPU-L
29,461
NPU-V
0
Average Gross Income
10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000
NPU-V
NPU-L
State of
Georgia
29,461
24,483
49,347
U.S.
National
Poverty
Line
23,050
United
States
51,914
Sources: CDP 2010 Census Summary Report
http://www.summerhillatl.org/storage/CDP_2011_NPU_V_forecast.pdf,
http://174.37.215.145/client_resources/government/planning/2010census/2010censusbroch_npu_l.pdf
Percentage of Illegally Dumped Tires Mapped by
Neighborhood 2012
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
62%
23%
7%
4%
3%
2%
Total Estimate of Illegally
Dumped Tires (NPU-L & NPU-V)
Correlation Between Illegally Dumped Tires and Crime 2012
3500
y = 0.5005x - 61.124
R² = 0.7095
3000
2500
2000
1500
Neighborhoods
1000
500
0
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
Total Crimes in NPU-L & NPU-V 2012
There is a strong correlation between illegally dumped tires
mapped and crime (.84).
Source: crime data, http://www.atlantapd.org/crimedatadownloads.aspx . Tire data, collected
2.29.2012-March 10th, 2012.
Distressed Properties 2010
Percentage of Distressed Properties by NPU
120%
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
NPU-L
Sources: City of Atlanta 2010 Census Summary Report http://
http://www.atlantaga.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=2833
NPU-V
The Hazards
Water & Ground Concerns
• Tires illegally dumped onto
the ground or into the river
pose a health hazard for
humans.
• Tires cannot be buried; they
tend to rise to the surface
because of their chemical
components. Some of these
toxic chemicals include: sulfur,
paraffin, carbon black, oil, and
polymers.
• These materials cause
potential hazards to the air,
ground and water, regardless
of whether the tires are
buried or put into piles.
Proctor Creek in English Avenue Neighborhood, Atlanta, GA
Pests, Rodents, & Insects
• Many disease
carrying pests live in
tire piles. Tires
provide warm places
for rodents (i.e. mice
and rats) and
stagnant water for
insects to breed (i.e.
Mosquitoes).
• In addition to being
the normal pests
that all mosquitoes
are, several varieties
can carry West Nile
Virus.
Tire Fires
• Tires also catch on fire. Rubber fires are difficult to put
out and burn a long time. In addition they also emit a
hazardous chemical into the air and contaminate the soil
with an oily residue.
• This disrupts and damages the environment, exposing
people and animals to toxic chemicals, placing people and
their homes at risk for fires.
Where the Rubber
Meets the Road
• How Tires are Used (and not
dumped):
– Tire-derived Fuel (TDF)
– Ground Rubber (Playgrounds,
Running Tracks, etc.)
– Civil Engineering (tire shreds
used in landfill construction,
septic tank leach fields, and
construction applications.
ECO-Action NPU-L & NPU-V
Tire Collection Initiative Spring 2012
The Beginning
February 2012
• ECO-Action, several NPU-V organizations, English
Avenue Neighborhood Association and Community
Improvement Association identified illegally dumped
tires as a top priority.
• The Center of Excellence for Health Disparities
Research at Georgia State University contacted
Liberty Tire Recycling, to request that Liberty
donate their services. *
• ECO-Action hosted community meetings to talk
about the date for the pick up, the needs for
supplies, volunteers, funds & resources, and strategy.
Tire Mapping
February 29th & March 2nd, 2012
• Community residents, GSU
Department of Geosciences
faculty (Drs. Timothy
Hawthorne and Katherine
Hankins), and GSU students
mapped the locations of
tires.
• Over 1,600 illegally dumped
tires were mapped.
* GPS units provided by GSU Department of Geosciences
English Avenue Tire Clean-Up
March 3rd, 2012
• English Avenue neighborhood
residents & sector leaders,
GSU faculty & student
volunteers, and ECO-Action
helped collect over 500 tires
for recycling.
Supplies and Food & Beverages provided by: WAWA, Fulton County Adopt-a-Stream, Micah
Rowland, Telenavigators, and GSU’s Gamma Theta Upsilon Geography Honors Society.
NPU-V Tire Clean Up
March 10th, 2012
– Community residents, GSU
student & faculty volunteers,
probationers, and ECO-Action
volunteers collected nearly
3,000 tires.
The Pick-Up
March 10th, 2012
– Volunteers worked from 9 am-1 pm.
– Liberty Tire picked up tires from English Avenue &
neighborhoods within NPU-V.
– 510 Cohen Street, in the Pittsburgh community, estimated to
have 250 tires…actually had 2,000.
The Volunteers
The Pick Up
March 12th, 2012
• ECO-Action, GSU students, and NPU-V residents
volunteered to help with the final tire pick up.
• Liberty Tire Recycling recovered 3,527
tires.
The Outcomes
•
•
3,527 illegally
dumped tires were
collected by
Liberty Tire
Recycling from
NPUs –L & V.
Additional hot
spots and illegal
dumping sites were
identified. In
particular, Dixie
Hills Neighborhood
(NPU-J) has over
5,000 tires.
Dixie Hills, Hidden Village Apartments, Atlanta, GA.
The Outcomes
Illegal Tire Dumping Press Conference;
March, 8th, 2012
• Organizing and removing
waste with a focus on
recycling can make a
difference in the
community
• Partnerships have formed,
and citizens have learned
about the problem of illegal
tire dumping
• One of our hard-working
residents was offered a job
by Liberty Tire Recycling!!
Before
After
510 Cohen St. Atlanta, GA 30310
Before
After
870 Proctor St. Atlanta, GA 30318
Next Steps
• Now that you know….
1) Don’t illegally dump tires!
2) Get involved in community efforts and help make a
difference .YOU make a difference
3) Get to know Georgia laws and help enforce them
4) Start organizing and planning with your local
community groups and local businesses to see if
they can donate services and supplies.
5) Lobby and work with your elected officials to
develop a new bill and advocate enforcement to
combat illegal tire dumping.
How to Report Illegal Dumping
• Enforcement of current Georgia laws
– Report illegal dumping: Copy the license plate and make of
the vehicle, along with the time, date, and place that the
dumping took place.
– Call your local “Crimestoppers” organization or
your local law enforcement agency
• In Georgia, it is illegal to:
– Litter or dump waste on any public or private property,
including highways, streets, alleys, parks, lawns, fields, or
forest lands; and
– Litter or dump waste on any public or private waters,
including fresh water lakes, streams, canals, rivers and tidal
or coastal waters.
At the Policy Level
• Develop new laws
– H.B. 811 passed the Senate, but the original
language of the bill was gutted,. Ultimately, the
bill was not pass for it’s intended purpose.
– It is critical to get in touch with your City Council
representatives and State representatives about
supporting this policy, and others like it.
• Learn from other states and organizations
– See different policies that are in effect now.
Thank you to all our Sponsors & Partners
Community Engagement/ Outreach Core &
Environmental Core, Center of Excellence for
Health Disparities Research (CoEX)
GSU Gamma Theta Upsilon Geography
Honor’s Society (GTU)
Special Thanks
• Dr.Yomi Noibi, ECO-Action Executive Director
• Dewey Grantham, Liberty Tire Recycling
• Tire Initiative Members: Chandra Gallashaw,
Travie Leslie, Douglas Dean, Columbus Ward,
Demarcus Peters, Margaret Hooker, Doristine
Samuel, Marshall Thomas, Micah Rowland, Cheryl
Case, Mary Anne Adams, Tony Torrence, Cleta
Winslow, Councilwoman, District 4, and all our
NPU-V & NPU-L and GSU volunteers.
Acknowledgements
• Presentation compiled by: Cheryl Case, MA GSU
Community Engagement/ Outreach Core, Center
of Excellence for Health Disparities Research (CoEX),
and Tal Kitron, Environmental Law Fellow, ECOAction (Environmental Community Action)