Dave Rednour, left, and Seth Clemons will among volunteers that will clean tires from an area of Chattanooga Creek on Hooker Road next week.When you saw the Page 1 picture in Saturday's Times Free Press with the report that about 600 old tires had been dumped into Chattanooga Creek off Hooker Road, you may understandably have been disgusted.
We don't yet know who is responsible, but it seems unlikely that so many used car tires were dumped at that spot by lots of individual motorists who had bought new tires.
Tire dealers usually charge a fee for each old tire discarded, and most of them provide for proper, legal disposal. But with hundreds of old tires showing up in the creek, it is painfully obvious that someone is knowingly flouting the law.
Disposal of waste can cause problems for environmental, cost and other reasons. Most of our garbage is legally buried in landfills, but some lawbreakers seek to avoid the usual costs and dump waste materials in improper ways.
Taxpayers have to foot a big bill for proper disposal, and to clean up after those who dump illegally. So it is appropriate that an investigation has begun to find out who has been dumping tires in Chattanooga Creek. Such actions deserve firm prosecution.