Locals in Mobile joined forces with the city in a concerted effort to dispose of old tires cluttering yards and posing environmental hazards. Spearheaded by the city with assistance from organizations like Osprey Initiative and Student Conservation Association non profit organization, the event was a success.
“It’s been nonstop really. We probably have had about 200 in the past two hours or so. So it’s been very well-received by the public,” explained Sara Boccardo, a volunteer from the nonprofit organization, Student Conservation Association.
With such great weather, locals like Lee Conkin took advantage of the chance to clean out his yard.
“It was cluttering up the backside of my yard and it’s a great, great thing that Mobile is doing,” said Conkin.
The event ran for three hours Saturday morning, providing three drop locations at sites like Medal of Honor Park, Baumhauer-Randle Park and Museum Drive.
“A common comment that we’ve been getting is people have been holding onto these tires, they don’t know what to do with them. There’s also a lot that have been dumped in Mobile over time,” Boccardo adds.
Only four tires were taken per car, excluding the ones still mounted on rims because the city does not have a place to dispose of those kinds of tires.
All of them were transported to 1900 Hurtel St., where city workers unloaded them into a designated bin. By the end of the day, over 1,100 tires were collected, marking a significant step towards cleaner, safer neighborhoods.
“As far as mosquito populations go – they tend to love tires. So, they can increase the number of mosquitoes. Things like snakes also really like ‘em so they’re kind of like a hazard,” Boccardo adds.
If you missed today’s drop off, city officials recommend frequently checking their website and social media outlets for similar events.
This story originally appeared on FOX10 News by Ahniaelyah Spraggs. You can view the original story online.
