Lazaro Aleman
ECB Publishing, Inc.
The law enforcement arm of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) last week issued its report on the incident involving the illegal dumping of hundreds of tires at the New Monticello Road collection site in December.
The report, dated Monday, Jan. 4, names a Jefferson County resident with a Leon County business for the illegal dumping. The resident is William Thomas Grant; the business is W. T. Grant Wrecker and Auto on the Blountstown Highway in Tallahassee.
According to Jazlynae Chandler, the FDEP investigating officer, five of Grant’s employees removed the 357 tires from the location on Tuesday, Dec. 22, under the watchful eyes of law enforcement. The truck and trailer full of tires were then escorted to the Leon County Landfill for proper disposal at the business’s cost.
“Grant was issued two written warnings for unpermitted waste tire hauling and commercial dumping,” the report reads. “An inspection of Mr. Grant’s facility has been scheduled for other potential violations and he is in the process of purchasing a waste tire haulers’ permit.”
According to the FDEP report, a Dec. 10 complaint from the Jefferson County Code Enforcement office triggered its investigation. Grant, in his statement to the FDEP, claimed being unaware that tires couldn’t be dumped at the county’s collection sites, as he said his company didn’t deal much with waste tires and the county had allowed the practice in years past.
He noted that he himself had not dumped the tires, but he had told his driver to do so, thinking there was no problem in it.
“Grant stated that he thought he was doing the right thing and that his actions were out of ignorance,” the report states.
The investigator asked why then had the tires been dumped late at night?
Grant’s response was that he had instructed his employee to do it whenever time allowed, as the Leon County operation was extremely busy.
Law enforcement was able to identify the vehicle that dumped the tires illegally from a mounted camera at the collection site that records all internal activity. The camera recorded the illegal activity on two separate nights, according to Beth Letchworth, director of the Solid Waste Department.
“The first time they dumped about 150 tires at the site,” Letchworth said. “The next night, they came back and dumped about the same number.”
She said the two incidents occurred past midnight on Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 8 and 9. The site is open 24 hours, seven days a week – a situation that county officials are thinking to change.
In Florida, the law requires that waste tires be disposed at permitted tire collection centers, which are strictly regulated by the FDEP under the Waste Tire Management Program.
Typically, auto repair shops and recycling facilities are considered waste tire collection centers and allowed to store up to 1,500 tires. Motorists commonly are required to purchase new tires in order to leave old tires for disposal, or they may be charged a disposal or storage fee. They may also be directed to a waste tire site for self-disposal.
Most recycling centers in Florida accept up to four used tires per year from individuals, provided that the latter show proof of residency, such as a driver’s license or photo I.D., and a copy of a utility bill or tax notice.
Most Florida communities, Jefferson County included, sponsor periodic hazardous waste days when residents are allowed to dispose of hazardous waste, including old tires, at designated locations for free.
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