LILBURN, Ga. — A routine walk turned into an unwelcome discovery for a Lilburn resident who found hundreds of tires illegally dumped near the Camp Creek Greenway Trail.
Gretchen Barker’s husband spotted the massive pile while walking the trail off Rockbridge Road near Lawrenceville Highway.
Barker, who walks the trail every day, says they only recently noticed the tires after tree fall exposed what was hidden in the woods.
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“I was horrified. It’s too close to the waterway,” Barker told Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson.
The tires sit close to Camp Creek, raising environmental concerns for the community.
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“I can’t believe that people are treating the environment this way, this close to the waterway. It’s just not supposed to be there,” Barker said.
The City of Lilburn says it’s aware of the illegal dumping and plans to work with the property owner and tap into a state grant to clean up the site. City officials say they don’t believe the property owner had any knowledge of the dumping.
Lilburn Police say they previously worked with a manager at a business nearby and set up cameras but never caught anyone in the act. No arrests have been made.
For Barker and other daily trail users, the tire pile is more than an eyesore.
“We are a close community here in Lilburn, and we want to make sure that we keep it clean not only for the people that use this trail on a daily basis, but for the environment, for the animals and things that live around here,” Barker said.
She hopes the attention leads to swift action to protect the waterway and restore the natural beauty of the trail.
It wasn’t clear if police are targeting any particular suspects yet but if caught, they could face felony charges for dumping if they’re repeat offenders.
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