Tyre dump scourge debated

Tyre dump scourge debated

Tyres break down over time to leave harmful chemicals

Urgent action is needed to cut the number of tyres dumped illegally in Welsh beauty spots, according to the Environment Agency.

The agency have said that the problem of illegal tyre dumps is increasing every year.

Thousands of tyres, enough to fill 444 double-decker buses, 'disappear' into these dumps in Wales alone.

In a recent survey carried out by the Environment Agency, 50% of all tyres bought in south east Wales were dumped at illegal sites across the region.

The problem of illegal tyre dumps has been echoed across Wales with sites discovered in the north and south.

The Heyope dump, near Knighton, Powys, is the largest in the UK with around nine million tyres.

The problem is getting worse

Karin Black, Environment Agency

The Environment Agency has said that action is urgently needed to address the dumping issue.

"The problem is getting worse," said Karin Black, a waste strategy manager for the agency.

"Many local council civic amenity sites have long since stopped accepting tyres as waste," she said.

Ms Black said that changes in European legislation will mean that changes in how people dispose old tyres will need to be made.

"It is going to cost more to dispose of old tyres legally," she said.

"Illegal operators who regard unregulated dumping as an easy way of making money pay no regard to the detrimental impact their actions have on the environment," she added.

Conference

A conference to brainstorm ideas to solve the problem took place in Llandrindod Wells, Powys, on Tuesday with recycling groups and other interested parties.

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: "Throughout Wales we have found dumps and they are in the most insensitive places.

"Wales has some beautiful areas of woodland which are very often spoiled by huge dumps of old tyres.

"We are trying to work out where they are coming from but in the meantime we have got to try and find ways of solving the problems," he added.