DEKAB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb County leaders are taking a tougher stance against illegal tire dumping, a long-running problem that has cost taxpayers millions of dollars and left neighborhoods dealing with unsightly and hazardous waste.
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County officials announced new measures aimed at deterring illegal dumping after previous efforts, including free tire disposal events for residents, failed to eliminate the problem.
One of the county’s largest illegal tire dump sites remains behind a business owned by Carne Mahone, who said she was shocked by the scale of the dumping after Channel 2 Action News first showed her the site in May.
“I’ve seen people stop in the middle of the road and stack tires where there weren’t any before,” Mahone told Channel 2’s Susan Hendricks. “They’ve become more brazen.”
Mahone said she supports the county’s decision to impose tougher penalties, saying stronger enforcement is needed to hold offenders accountable.
DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran Johnson has made addressing illegal dumping a priority, expanding cleanup efforts while also offering residents free opportunities to dispose of unwanted tires legally.
Now, county leaders hope stricter enforcement will make would-be dumpers think twice.
“Now it’s punitive,” said Eugene McKinnie, the county’s director of sanitation. “People will think twice before dumping tires illegally.”
Despite the new enforcement measures, the massive pile of tires behind Mahone’s business has yet to be removed, underscoring the ongoing challenge county officials face as they work to clean up existing dump sites while preventing new ones from forming.
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