Free tire disposal event set for La Grande on April 25

Old tires do not just take up room in a garage or shed. In La Grande, they also can become a fire hazard, a mosquito breeding site and a target for illegal dumping, which is why a free disposal event on April 25 is likely to draw steady traffic from across Union County.

La Grande Rotary, Les Schwab Tire Center and Eastern Oregon Athletics are organizing the drop-off from 9 a.m. to noon at the EOU Community Stadium parking lot at 6th Street and G Avenue. The event gives residents a legal place to unload tires that otherwise tend to pile up in yards, storage spaces and along property edges, especially as spring cleanup season gets underway.

The rules are narrow. Organizers will accept up to four unmounted car or light-truck tires, along with tires from 1-ton or lighter vehicles. Tires with wheels or rims, tractor tires and large truck tires will not be accepted, so anyone planning to bring a load needs to sort it before arriving. The event details were posted through La Grande Main Street Downtown, tying the cleanup to the city’s broader downtown and community programming rather than a one-day disposal drive alone.

The timing matters beyond convenience. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality says illegal dumping includes the unlawful disposal of used tires, and it warns that waste tire piles can collect rainwater, create mosquito breeding grounds and pose fire and pollution risks. DEQ also says Oregonians generate about four million waste tires a year and only about one-third are recovered, a reminder that even a small local cleanup can help chip away at a much larger statewide waste problem.

La Grande has seen this kind of effort before. A similar spring tire cleanup notice was issued last year, when the same organizers held a Saturday event at Les Schwab Tire Center of La Grande, 2306 Adams Ave., from 8 a.m. to noon. The return of the program suggests a steady demand for a simple service that keeps junk out of alleys, fields and back lots, while giving residents a practical way to clear out one of the hardest household items to dispose of properly.