The numbers are in from six Tire Collection events held from June 2017 to February 2018 in Lamar County.
“About a year ago the Northeast Texas Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) made $48,741.00 available to Lamar County through a Supplemental Environment Project grant to be spent for debris clean up in Lamar County,” said Lamar County Judge Chuck Superville.
The Commissioners Court had one year to “use it or lose it” and after much deliberation and collaboration, it was decided that Lamar County would use the money to sponsor a number of tire collection events throughout the county.
“In all, six events were held, over an eight-month period, between June of 2017, and February of 2018, as well as random collections during that period,” said Superville.
Events were held in Reno, Deport, Blossom, Roxton, Sumner, and Paris.
During that period, 9,656 tires were collected of all sizes, coming from citizens.
The tires collected were shredded and deposited in a permitted landfill.
“By all accounts, this project was a huge success,” Superville said, “Tire disposal is a big problem in Lamar County and improperly disposed of tires are unsightly and unsanitary. They are breeding grounds for insects and rodents which carry disease such as Zeka. Properly disposing of these tires was a good thing for all of Lamar County and it was done with grant money, cooperation, and hard work, not taxpayer dollars,” Superville said.
Superville attributed the success to many people including The County Commissioners Court, Edwin Pickle with Keep Paris Beautiful, Make Lamar County Shine, Jim and Carol Boykin with RC&D, Mr. Evers with The Dream Center, Luke Luttrell with Lamar County Adult Probation Dept., The City Councils of Reno, Deport, Blossom, Roxton, and Paris. Robert Tally with the City of Paris, Mr. Rainey with Rainey Tire Disposal and most importantly, the citizens of Lamar County that brought tires in to be properly disposed of.
“The lesson learned is that if we all cooperate, and work together toward a common goal, we can achieve great things together,” Superville concluded.
