‘Why not care and take pride in the area where you live?’ Illegal dumping in Prichard has folks fed up

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Residents in Prichard are fed with illegal dumping.

This time... it’s tires that have been dumped on Aldock Road.

“We have complained, complained and complained about the dumping but now you see stuff like this is just happening right there on the main road. It’s like people just don’t care,” said Thomas Baker, a long-time resident on Aldock Road.

Baker was driving down Aldock Road in Prichard when something caught his eye. To his left, in the ditch, a huge pile of tires were dumped in the grass.

“It’s an ongoing thing,” said Baker.

We went out to the ditch and counted about 55 tires that were illegally dumped. That number does not include the several other tires stashed under the pile.

And Baker says it’s just as much a health problem as it is a litter problem. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, tires are very flammable.

When burned, a single tire can produce about two gallons of oil that can pollute the environment. Baker has seen it firsthand.

“Material that folks have dumped out catch fire,” said Baker.

In his 30 years of living the area, Baker says the dumping has only gotten worse and it’s not just tires.

“You have the mosquito build-up from dumping, and you have snakes, you have just the way it looks for the community,” said Baker.

Baker is asking folks to take time to do what’s right.

“Instead of putting it in a dumpster, you throw right in front of the dumpster. Why not just throw it in the dumpster? And it’s not just here in Prichard. It’s everywhere,” said Baker.

“Why not care and take pride in the area where you live?” questioned Baker.

Click here for a list of tire pick-up sites in the Mobile area.

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