GREENVILLE – Tired of looking at those old tires lying around? Not only are they an eyesore, they can be dangerous. The Darke County Solid Waste District wants to help you with your tire problem. The district and EPA will be sponsoring a used tire collection on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In addition to tires to being an eyesore, they are a nuisance to rural citizens who find them in their ditches, out in the fields and wooded areas. Used tires make the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes that can carry diseases such as West Nile Virus, Zika, Lascrosse Encephalitis, St. Louis Encephalitis, Dengue and Yellow Fever.

Some mosquitoes have long-lived eggs, which can remain unhatched for years in old tires that were once wet and have dried out. The eggs can be transported in tires that are trucked between counties, states and even countries. When it rains, these tires collect water, wetting the inside of the tires where the eggs once were deposited, hatching out mosquitoes by the thousands. By disposing of used tires properly, the chance of disease is reduced.

The Tire Recycling Day is open to all Darke County residents, farmers, municipalities and townships. Unfortunately, no tires will be accepted from junk yards or junk dealers, garages, auto repair shops, tire, automobile, truck, farm-equipment dealerships; atv/motorcycle shops or commercial trucking/hauling businesses.

Those interested in participating in this one-day event must pre-register. Pre-registration begins Wednesday, Aug. 31, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Darke County Solid Waste District, 684 Wagner Ave, Suite C, Greenville (behind Edward D. Jones; two doors north of KFC.). Pre-registration ends on Friday, Sept. 16. Participants must provide a valid driver’s license or state-issued identification and sign a waiver that the tires being brought for recycling are from a residence in order to participate. The office will be closed on Sept. 5 due to the Labor Day holiday.

Participants are asked to remove rims from all tires before taking them to Rumpke Transfer Station at 5474 Jaysville-St John Road, Greenville, on Sept. 21. Rires left on rims WILL NOT be accepted. Tires full of dirt and water will be refused. Passenger tires will be accepted at a $2 a tire. However, there is a limit of 10 tires per Darke County resident and/or address. Tractor tires pre-registered will be charged a $20 fee per tire at the time of registration. Tractor tires larger than 30” wide will not be accepted. Semi/truck tires pre-registered will be charged a $8 per tire fee. Payment is due at the time of sign-up in the form of CASH or CHECK ONLY. At this time, they cannot accept credit cards and can only accept exact change.

According to the Ohio Revised Code, all tires must be secured and tarped before arriving at the transfer station unless they are in an enclosed vehicle, trailer, etc. Untarped loads can be refused. Also, the Ohio EPA requires a transporter’s permit for those hauling more than 10 tires at a time.

Assisting the Solid Waste District and Policy Committee will be Community Service workers, the Environmental Division of the Darke County Health Department, Darke County Engineer, Darke County Highway Garage, Rumpke employees and many volunteers.