Abundance of Unrecycled Tires Cause Health and Safety Concerns

LUBBOCK,TX -- Residents along the northeast side of Plainview have raised health and safety concerns about a business that has stored large quantities of tires near their homes.

Hale County Commissioner Kenny Kernell told us that the business, Tyre King, has created such a big problem, that it has become a concern for nearby citizens.

“According to their certification,” he said, “They’re not supposed to have more than 500 tires on the ground at any time.”

Commissioner Kernell told us the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, or TCEQ, has estimated that Tyre King is currently storing closer to 500,000 tires. And nearby residents like Ashli Trejo are worried.

“There are mosquitoes. There are lots of mosquitoes.” She said. “Saturday, my husband killed a snake. I’m pretty sure they’re coming from over there. There are rats. I mean, it’s just a lot of mess out here.”

Trejo has lived in her house for 15 years. When she first moved in across from Tyre King there were no problems. Now, she says the noises from the company can keep her family up at night and the mosquitoes and bugs are a health concern.

“I have five kids,” she said. “What if one of them gets West-Nile just because of all that mess out there?”

Kayla Keesee also lives nearby and says that the mosquitoes have spread into her house.

“We live right next door,” she said. “ And we have to put ‘Off’ on at night because we get bit all night.”

The county has handed the cases off to the TCEQ and the Texas Attorney General’s office. In the meantime, they are hoping the owner of Tyre King will fix the problem.