By Milton Kirby | Decatur, GA | December 12, 2025
DeKalb County officials on Friday announced one of the most aggressive environmental cleanup efforts in the county’s history, unveiling a $250,000 initiative that has already removed more than 37,000 illegally dumped tires from neighborhoods, commercial corridors, and private property across the county.
The announcement came during a press conference led by DeKalb County Chief Executive Officer Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, who framed the effort as both an environmental response and a community restoration campaign.
“This is not just a cleanup. This is a reclaiming of our communities,” Cochran-Johnson said. “To put this into perspective, if the 37,000 tires we have removed were laid end to end, they would stretch 20 to 25 miles — the equivalent of the entire Atlanta BeltLine loop or the distance from Midtown Atlanta to Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. That is what our neighborhoods have been forced to live beside.”
The cleanup is being carried out by DeKalb County’s Sanitation Division and Beautification Unit, with Ricky Crockett serving as the county’s lead coordinator. Crews are targeting some of the most hazardous and logistically challenging illegal tire dump sites in DeKalb, many located on steep slopes, in wooded ravines, or near abandoned structures.
Eight Priority Sites Targeted
County officials initially identified nine priority locations for remediation. One site, at 3747 Presidential Parkway, was previously cleaned by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. The remaining eight sites form the backbone of the current initiative.
Four of those sites have already been fully cleared and are scheduled for final inspection and approval on December 3, 2025. The remaining four locations require more complex retrieval methods due to limited access and safety concerns but are projected to be completed by the week of December 24, weather permitting.
The eight priority cleanup sites include:
- 5986 Marbut Road, Lithonia (behind a residence)
- 3041 Northeast Expressway, Atlanta (former State Farm property with steep slope)
- 4221 Covington Highway, Decatur (former tire store)
- 3590 Covington Highway, Decatur (burned building)
- 3486 Covington Highway, Decatur (behind rehabilitation facility)
- 6941 Brannon Hill Road, Clarkston (residential neighborhood)
- 1785 Continental Way SE (commercial landscaping area)
- 1700 Corey Boulevard, Decatur (church property)
Officials estimate the total volume of tires removed from these locations is in the tens of thousands, with several sites requiring specialized equipment and extended timelines.
“Organized Environmental Crime”
Cochran-Johnson did not mince words when describing the scale and intent behind many of the dumping incidents.
“We must confront a difficult truth,” she said. “Much of this dumping is not accidental. It is organized environmental crime. We have documented cases where a business drives into our county at night and dumps 3,000 tires in a single incident, leaving taxpayers and communities to pick up the pieces. That is unacceptable.”
Illegal tire dumping poses serious environmental and public safety risks. Stockpiled tires create fire hazards, attract mosquitoes, and often become magnets for additional illegal dumping and criminal activity. County leaders said the cleanup effort is part of a broader strategy that combines enforcement, prevention, and long-term restoration.
Push for Statewide Reform
Beyond local cleanup, DeKalb County is advocating for changes to Georgia’s tire remediation laws to help counties better address widespread dumping.
The county supports amendments to O.C.G.A. § 12-8-40.1 that would allow Solid Waste Trust Fund reimbursements for projected cleanup costs in hard-to-reach areas, permit counties to seek reimbursement on behalf of municipalities when intergovernmental agreements are in place, and provide additional state funding for large counties with populations over 500,000.
County leaders said those reforms are critical to sustaining long-term cleanup efforts and deterring repeat offenders.
Legal Disposal and What Comes Next
Residents are reminded that they can legally dispose of up to 10 tires per trip at the Seminole Road Landfill, located at 4203 Clevemont Road in Ellenwood. Tires are transported from the site to approved recycling facilities. Additional information is available by calling the landfill at (404) 687-4040.
Cochran-Johnson also announced that the county is developing a permanent solution to address tire disposal. In early 2026, DeKalb plans to introduce an option allowing all residents and businesses to legally dispose of tires, a move officials hope will undercut illegal dumping at its source.
The current initiative aligns with the county’s Reimagine DeKalb agenda, focusing on reducing blight, improving safety, and restoring pride in heavily impacted communities.
During a recent drive through Lithonia, The Truth Seekers Journal observed multiple tire dump sites at varying stages, many of which appeared to have begun with just a handful of discarded tires before rapidly expanding. Once visible, the piles often grew rapidly, reinforcing a pattern county officials say underscores the need for swift cleanup and consistent enforcement.
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