(South Bend) - Large heaps of discarded tires are bad to begin with, but when the piles are located next to a park and playground, they pose an extremely dangerous risk to a community's health, safety and environment. 

Thanks to efforts by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), a site in South Bend that was previously home to an estimated 53,500 waste tires has been properly disposed of.

Steve and Gene's, 3109 South Gertrude Street, South Bend, is a former salvage yard that was home to the tires. Located adjacent to Rum Village Park, the waste tires remained in spite of agency efforts to ensure a proper cleanup by the owner. To alleviate the significant potential threat, IDEM hired a contractor to remove the tires, which will be trucked to Ohio where they will be processed into crumb rubber and used in the blacktop surfacing of Pennsylvania highways.

Waste tires pose a number of public health and environmental concerns. Illegal tire piles pose a serious fire hazard because the fires are extremely difficult to extinguish and produce unhealthy smoke and contaminated runoff that can harm waterways. Illegal tire piles also pose a serious public health threat because they attract rodents and provide the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus.

"IDEM's action has rid the community of a real environmental problem and is helping to make the neighborhood a better place to live and play," said IDEM Commissioner Thomas Easterly.

IDEM was able to clean up the tires with funds from the waste tire management fund that receives 25 cents for each new tire that is sold in Indiana.

"IDEM's priority is protecting Hoosiers and our environment, and it is a great feeling to be able to come in and make such a large impact on an environmental hazard with the funds we have available," said Commissioner Easterly.

About IDEM
IDEM (http://www.idem.IN.gov) implements federal and state regulations regarding the environment. Through compliance assistance, incentive programs and educational outreach, the agency encourages and aids business and citizens in protecting Hoosiers and our environment.

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