Almost everyone can agree that a beautiful walk in the neighborhood or country is ruined when the landscape is interrupted by a pile of waste tires. Unfortunately though, it has become an all too common sight.

The lack of tire recycling options, labor involved, and cost has had a negative effect on the public's proper disposal habits.

Fortunately, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County has collaborated with the Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Department of Economic Development and Planning to organize a tire collection event for Cayuga County residents.

The event will be held on Saturday, June 16, at 7413 County House Road.

From 8:30 a.m. to noon, residents are invited to stop by the Natural Resource Center, with a maximum of 40 tires per household, to recycle their old tires on or off rims.

The cost at this event is $1 per tire for tires up to 30 inches in outside diameter and $5 per tire for those 30-36 inches in outside diameter.

Should you ask: What#'s in it for me?

The reply would almost definitely include references to saving the environment by preventing fires, disease and aesthesis.

In fact, tire pile fires can burn for months, sending up a choking black plume that can be seen for miles.

That cloud contains toxic chemicals and air pollutants. The worst news is, when fighting a tire fire the water gathers oily runoff and can potentially pollute surrounding water sources!

Fighting a tire pile fire is not only fruitless in some cases, it can actually make the problem worse.

If that doesn#'t convince you to recycle your waste tires, how about avoiding West Nile disease?

That#'s right, waste tires can hold water in them that becomes stagnant and provides excellent conditions for mosquitoes to breed.

In essence, your tire pile is a mosquito resort that could potentially harbor West Nile disease!

Mosquito-borne diseases have been proven more numerous near tire dump sites.

It is estimated that one tire per person in the United States becomes waste every year.

There are about 250 scrap tires generated each year, not including those 50 million that are reused in retreads.

So come to the 2007 Tire Round-Up Collection June 16 and help reduce the tire waste in our area. We#'ll see you there!

For more information about the event, questions, or inquires about volunteering for this event, please contact CCE of Cayuga County at 255-1183 or visit the web site at: www.cayuganet.org/hazwaste/currentevents.htm.

Alexa Weigel-Krause is an Americorps environmental education assistant at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County