DeKalb County to Cleanup Tire Dump Sites

FINAL

MEDIA CONTACTS

•    Dionna Smith, Chief Communications Officer, dasmith@dekalbcountyga.gov, 470-889-7360 (c)
•    Sloan Turner, Communications Manager, ssturner@dekalbcountyga.gov, 470-393-8348 (c)
•    Quinn Hudson, Senior Communications Consultant, wqhudson@dekalbcountyga.gov, 470-522-8923 (c)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 12, 2025

CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson and County Officials Announce Major Cleanup of Illegal Tire Dump Sites Across DeKalb

DECATUR, Ga. – – CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, joined by County leaders and operational teams, held a press conference today announcing a new $250,000 initiative to clean up eight of DeKalb County’s most severe illegal tire dump sites—an effort that has already resulted in the removal of more than 37,000 illegally dumped tires from neighborhoods, commercial corridors, and private property.

“This is not just a cleanup — this is a reclaiming of our communities,” said CEO Cochran-Johnson. “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 operation is being led by DeKalb County’s Sanitation Division and Beautification Unit, with Ricky Crockett serving as the County’s lead coordinator.

Four Sites Already Cleaned; Completion Expected by Late December

A total of nine sites were originally identified. One location—3747 Presidential Parkway—was cleaned earlier by the Environmental Protection Division.

Of the remaining eight sites, four have already been cleaned and are scheduled for final inspection and approval on December 3, 2025. The remaining locations, some with steep slopes and extremely limited access, require more complex retrieval efforts but are still projected for completion by the week of December 24, 2025, weather permitting.

Major Illegal Tire Dump Sites Cleanup

Eight Priority Tire Dumps Identified for Immediate Cleanup

• 5986 Marbut Rd., Lithonia (Behind residence)
• 3041 Northeast Expressway, Atlanta (State Farm property – steep slope)
• 4221 Covington Hwy., Decatur (Former tire store)
• 3590 Covington Hwy., Decatur (Burned building)
• 3486 Covington Hwy., Decatur (Behind rehabilitation facility)
• 6941 Brannon Hill Rd., Clarkston (Neighborhood)
• 1785 Continental Way SE (Commercial landscaping area)
• 1700 Corey Blvd., Decatur (Church property)

County officials estimate that the total volume removed is in the tens of thousands. Challenging terrain — steep slopes, wooded ravines, and abandoned buildings — has made several sites exceptionally difficult to address.

CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson: Cleaning Blight, Protecting Communities

CEO Cochran-Johnson emphasized the intentional nature of many large-scale tire dumps.

“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.”

She reaffirmed the County’s commitment to long-term enforcement, prevention, and community restoration.

Supporting Local Governments Through Statewide Legislative Action

DeKalb County is also advocating statewide for strengthened tire remediation laws. The County supports amendments to O.C.G.A. § 12-8-40.1, including:

• Allowing Solid Waste Trust Fund reimbursements for projected cleanup costs in hard-to-reach areas—not only after projects are completed
• Permitting counties to seek reimbursement on behalf of municipalities when service delivery agreements (IGAs) are in place
• Providing additional state funding for large counties (population over 500,000) to combat widespread illegal dumping

These reforms would help sustain long-term cleanup and deterrence efforts.

A Major Step in Reclaiming DeKalb’s Corridors and Communities

This initiative represents one of DeKalb County’s most significant tire remediation efforts to date. By addressing severely impacted areas in both residential and commercial zones, the County is reducing blight, improving public safety, and restoring community pride as part of the Reimagine DeKalb agenda.