Tire amnesty event to be held on Saturday

Take a drive through the outskirts of El Paso County, and it won’t be long before you spot them: worn out tires unceremoniously dumped in the desert, sometimes stacked in piles along the road.

Illegal tire dumping is a big problem.

“Our district is from one El Paso county line to another. We have 400 miles of canals and 300 miles of drains, and they’re all along the whole system,” said Lisa Aguilar, who works with the El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1.

That water district, along with the Lower Valley Water District and the towns of Horizon and Clint, are working together with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to hold the tire amnesty day.

Residents with old passenger-car tires can dispose of them Saturday morning starting at 8 a.m. at 12791 Williams St. in Clint. The service is free. Aguilar said it’s also necessary.

“The tires people dispose in our drains and our canals can become a safe(ty) hazard. They’re not only an eyesore, they become a breeding habitat for mosquitoes.”

Another tire amnesty day is planned for Saturday, July 28, at the same time and location. Officials hope to collect 6,000 tires each day.