Scrap tires unite U.S.-Mexico border states
In a rare show of unity between the 10 states on the Mexico-United States border, all of them yesterday signed the Tire Initiative Letter of Understanding, which includes "tire pile prevention measures" and tries to eliminate the public health risks, according to Greenspace, the Los Angeles Times environmental news blog.
"Often disease-carrying pests such as rodents inhabit these tire piles. After a rainfall, mosquitoes may breed in the stagnant water collected inside tires and carry deadly diseases such as encephalitis, West Nile virus, dengue fever and malaria.
"Scrap-tire fires are difficult to extinguish and can burn for weeks or months releasing thick, black smoke that can contaminate the soil with oily residue, generate significant liquid waste and contaminate ground and surface water.
"So far 4 million scrap tires have been removed from the U.S.-Mexico border to decrease the risk of fires and disease that they pose to border residents, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency."
