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News Release

For immediate release
June 3, 2003

ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY TAKING STRONG ACTION TO REDUCE
ILLEGAL TIRE STOCKPILES

TORONTO — The Ministry of the Environment has ordered the owners of nine used tire sites to remove illegally stored tires from their sites. In addition, the ministry’s Environmental SWAT Team is beginning an inspection blitz of other used tire sites in the province.

As part of today’s actions, the ministry has issued an order against the owners of the Otterwood tire site in Norwich Township to expeditiously remove all tires from the site. The ministry estimates that there are about 350,000 used tires on this site, making it the largest illegal tire stockpile in the province. Local health authorities have indicated the need to clean up this site because of concerns about the possible spread of West Nile virus.

There are eight other tire sites with illegal tire stockpiles that the Ministry of the Environment has ordered to clean up. These used tire sites are: Dom’s Auto Wreckers in the Municipality of Clarington; the Erie-Vu Trailer Park in Elgin County; the Havelock tire site in Havelock-Belmont-Methune Township; the Albert Helmer tire site in Norfolk County; the Bill Lane tire site in the Municipality of Southwest Middlesex; the Minden tire site in the Township of Minden Hills; the Teefy tire site in the City of Kawartha Lakes; and Uxbridge Auto Wreckers in the Township of Uxbridge.

These actions to order the clean up of illegally stockpiled tires would help remove potential fire and environmental hazards, as well as help prevent the possible spread of West Nile virus.

The ministry has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the clean up of illegally stockpiled tires at these sites in the event of non-compliance by the owners.

The ministry has set aside $1 million that will be used in the clean up of the Otterwood site should the owners of the site not comply with the order. The ministry will determine further action on the other eight sites as it moves forward and new information becomes available. The ministry will seek cost recovery through orders to recover costs from the owners of sites cleaned up by the province.

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Contact:
John Steele
Communications Branch
Ministry of the Environment
(416) 314-6666