TIRE CLEAN-UP PHOTOS JANUARY 25, 2003 - PAGE 1

On January 25, 2003 volunteers finished a project that took nearly a year to complete.  Some 300 tires were scattered all over the power cut between Compton Road and Little Rocky Run.  These tires were not only an eyesore, they were a health hazard.  Culex pipiens (photo), a mosquito known to be a carrier of West Nile Virus, likes nothing better than to lay eggs in the small pools of water in discarded tires. Ultimately, this is why the Fairfax County Health Department issued a felony citation ordering the removal of these tires by 3/1/03.  They would have been removed anyway, but this citation was much appreciated by volunteers cleaning up the watershed.  A dumpster appeared as if by magic on 1/24/03, and all 300 tires were put in it the very next day. This was very hard work and the following volunteers deserve special mention for helping on 1/25 and also on a number of other days during the year.  Kudos to Bill Ballou (Compton Heights Homeowners Association), Patricia Moore (LRRHOA), Al Francese, Scott Fernald, Jeff Coleman, Kim Tressler, Ron Tressler, Ned Foster, Linda Blake, and Boy Scout Troop 577. This is a proud moment in the on-going clean-up of the Little Rocky Run watershed.

Jeff Coleman (left) and Scott Fernald prepare to haul another truckload of tires to the dumpster.

The rule of thumb for estimating the weight of discarded tires is that 100 tires without rims weigh 1 ton.  About 15% of these tires had rims.  Worse, many were filled with frozen mud and water.  The tires were weighed by Fairfax County and tipped the scales at 3.7 tons. The point here is that this was back-breaking labor, especially for us old folks. It helped to have Jeff and Scott above, both of whom work out with weights.

Take me to page 2 of the Tire Clean-up section!