Magnus Environmental

Discarded used tires present a huge stress on our landfills and environment as bulky, insect breeding, and non-biodegradable material. It is believed that there are millions of tires in dumps throughout the United States. Vacant lots, roadsides, dumps, and landfills become filled with scrap tires; and due to the chemical nature of rubber tires, they do not simply break down over time, but become a permanent part of the landscape. For example, on a recent construction project, a Firestone tire produced in 1928 was found in usable condition.

As automobiles continue to be a permanent part of the landscape, so too with tires. Mountains of tires pile up on dumpsites and landfills, roadsides, vacant lots, parking lots, and junkyards. Not only are these piles unsightly, they also pose a severe health hazard. Rats set up virtual cities in the millions of hiding places that tire piles provide. Tire piles are a frightening fire hazard, which once ignited generate fires that can burn for days causing severe environmental damage and often necessitating the evacuation of local residents. The burning of the tires breaks the normally unbreakable chemical bond in the rubber, releasing the tires' chemical components. Further, the runoff from the extinguishing water, rainwater, and the charred tires results in additional environmental damage as contaminants seep into the water table.

Of the greatest concern lately, are the mosquitoes that breed rampantly in the rainwater collected in the tire piles. Mosquitoes carry and spread many diseases, including the West Nile Virus, which has caused deaths in animals, livestock, and humans. Health officials and citizens alike are growing more concerned with the threat of this virus and look at tire piles as breeding grounds for mosquitoes and the disease itself. Preventing all of these threats starts with cleaning up and eliminating the source.

280 million scrap tires are generated annually in the US

8.4 million are generated annually in New Jersey

840,000 are generated annually in Delaware

12 million are generated annually in Pennsylvania

20 million are generated annually in the Tri-State area