Bernalillo County Planning and Development Services has been awarded a New Mexico Clean and Beautiful grant, administered by the New Mexico Tourism Department, in the amount of $9,375 to support ongoing Scrap Tire Amnesty Days collection events. These efforts directly address the growing environmental and public health concerns caused by improper tire disposal throughout the county.
In recent years, Bernalillo County has seen a significant increase in the unlawful dumping of tires in neighborhoods, public rights-of-way, private land, and rural open spaces. Improper disposal sites create serious health and safety risks by attracting disease vectors such as mosquitoes and rodents, contributing to water contamination, and increasing fire hazards.
The county’s goal is to provide residents with an efficient, convenient, and environmentally responsible way to dispose of unwanted scrap tires. Scrap Tire Amnesty Days events allow Bernalillo County residents to drop off nine passenger car or truck tires per vehicle at no cost, reducing community blight, protecting water resources, improving public health outcomes, and supporting broader climate and pollution-prevention goals.
Thanks to previous state grant funding and county resources, Bernalillo County has been able to collaborate with the City of Albuquerque’s Solid 91TV Department over the past three years to host 75 Tire Amnesty Days events, collecting 26,605 tires, equaling 416 tons of material diverted from illegal dumping sites and directed toward proper recycling and disposal streams.
Bernalillo County’s Scrap Tire Ordinance establishes rules for handling, transporting, and disposing of scrap tires, helping to prevent illegal dumping. The ordinance outlines requirements for scrap tire generators and haulers and explains how residents can properly manage and transport tires to permitted disposal or recycling facilities.