BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — Residents hoping to dispose of old tires free of charge are in luck until July 6.

The Martin County Fiscal Court’s free tire drop-off event runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the county road garage at 45 Tomahawk Road, Inez.

There is no limit on the number of light-duty automotive passenger tires, with or without rims. However, other types of tires, such as agricultural or larger tires, will not be accepted.

Martin County Sanitation coordinator Eric Phelps said residents of Martin County are welcome to participate in this drop-off opportunity.

The county secured a $4,000 waste tire grant through the Kentucky Division of Waste Management to fund the event.

“Any money that we do not use, we do send back to the state,” Phelps said.

“Getting rid of tires can be difficult and expensive because landfills do not accept them. Unfortunately, some people resort to dropping them off along roadways or creek banks or leaving them in their yards to collect rainwater and breed mosquitoes.”

Phelps encourages anyone with old tires to come to the event and dispose of them safely and legally.

This load of tires will go to a recycling facility where they can be made into crumb rubber, park benches, trash cans, floor mats and much more.