Tire cleanup slated
for spring

By DIANE GLYNN

PIKE AND WAYNE COUNTIES — At a recent meeting of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT)’s Customer Advisory Board, drivers from Wayne County expressed outrage over old tires discarded along the roadways. PennDOT’s Wayne County Road Maintenance Office is asking drivers to help battle the tire litter problem with proper disposal methods.

According to Pike County West Nile virus coordinator Nancy Grotevant, $135,000 is expected in this year’s round of state funding to eliminate the tires.

Both Grotevant and Wayne West Nile virus coordinator Pat Mohn expect that several weekends will be set aside in April or May for residential property owners to bring abandoned tires to collection sites in each county.

Volunteer efforts will be needed to collect tires abandoned along state and interstate highways. “We know where those tires are hiding,” said a determined Grotevant, who noted that only haulers who would agree to recycle the tires would be contracted to remove tires from collection sites

In Wayne County, the recycling center near Beach Lake has been considered as a collection site. Recycling center coordinator Mary Coar expects that a nominal charge of $1 for all residential tires will be accepted, acknowledging, “We already have a large facility, and will probably designate three Saturdays for collection.”

For information call 570/253-3131.