Twin Harbors Waterkeeper, in partnership with Grays Harbor County and LeMay Enterprises, is offering free disposal of up to eight tires per car or truck on Saturday, March 29, starting at 9 a.m. at the Grays Harbor County Transfer Station located at 29 Gavett Lane in Montesano.
This event is for residents of Grays Harbor County only and will be first come, first served and will end once the four available shipping containers have been filled. Any size tires, without rims, are acceptable.
As of March 6, the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association “projects total U.S. tire shipments of 340.4 million units in 2025, compared to 337.3 million units in 2024 and 332.7 million units in 2019. This surpasses the previous record of 337.3 million units in 2024.”
According to the state of Washington Department of Ecology, “Waste tires are those no longer suitable for their intended purpose due to wear or damage. Accumulations of waste tires harbor mosquitoes, snakes, and other vermin, which pose health risks, such as the mosquito-transmitted West Nile Virus. Waste tire accumulations also present a dangerous fire hazard and the potential to emit polluting tire smoke.
“Waste tires have a negative market value and proper recycling or disposal can be expensive. They tend to accumulate, and sometimes they’re dumped illegally. Many tire accumulations exist for a significant length of time. We work with public entities to clean up unauthorized dumpsites and prevent further waste accumulation by funding community tire collection events.”
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, “Vehicle tires contain the chemical known as 6PPD to prevent tires from breaking down due to reactions with ozone and other reactive oxygen species in the air. When 6PPD reacts with ozone in the air, it forms 6PPD-quinone. Tires wear down through contact with roads, releasing particles into the environment. When it rains, stormwater from hard surfaces like parking lots and streets washes these particles into streams and other water bodies. As a result, 6PPD-quinone may be present and aquatic organisms can be exposed to it.
“Available information on 6PPD-quinone indicates that it is toxic enough to quickly kill some fish. A 2021 publication in the journal Science linked coho salmon death to 6PPD-quinone in stormwater. Concentrations in stormwater were found to be lethal for coho salmon following exposures lasting only a few hours. Subsequent work identified some other fish species as vulnerable to 6PPD-quinone.”
Twin Harbors Waterkeeper’s mission is to “protect and improve water quality and marine and freshwater habitats on the Washington coast including the watersheds of the Hoh, Quillayute, Queets, Quinault and Chehalis rivers and the Chehalis River Estuary and Willapa Bay Watershed.”
To learn more about waste tires and disposal efforts visit the Department of Ecology’s website: https://ecology.wa.gov/waste-toxics/solid-waste-litter/waste-tires
