HARLINGEN — The health problems linked to abandoned tires should be diminished with the collection of 7,000 old tires June 24 in Cameron, Willacy and Hidalgo counties.
Riding on that initial success, the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council will hold another collection event July 15 to help address the issue of illegal tire dumping.
The “Road to Recycling Regional Tire Collection Project” received those 7,000 tires at 30 collection sites in the Valley.
Illegally dumped tires are a major problem for the entire Valley, impacting tourism and waterways. The tires serve as breeding grounds for rodents and mosquitoes that can carry viruses which humans can contract.
Residents of the three counties can drop off four tires per person free of charge. The tires then will be properly disposed of.
LRGVDC and partnering communities are asking for volunteer assistance gathering and collecting tires as part of this effort.
Additional information and a map with collections sites is available at the LRGVDC website at www.lrgvdc.org
The LRGVDC is the state designated agency for solid waste management issues in the region.
The solid waste management program, funded by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, includes the development of the Regional Solid Waste Management Plan, carried out under the guidance of the Solid Waste Advisory Committee.
The main focus of the Solid Waste Department is to assist local governments and communities with solid waste management issues important to the region.
For a map with collection sites, go to the LRGVDC website at
www.lrgvdc.org
