DeKalb CEO Cochran-Johnson announces crackdown on illegal tire dumping

DEKAB COUNTYb, GA– – CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, county leaders and operational teams on Dec. 12 announced a crackdown on illegal tire dumping, after removing more than 37,000 tires dumped in neighborhoods, commercial corridors, and private property. 

The CEO announced a new $250,00 initiative to clean up eight of the worst tire dumping sites in DeKalb, calling the acts “organized enviromental crime.”  

“…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.”

“This is not just a cleanup — this is a reclaiming of our communities. 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 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. The remaining locations, some with steep slopes and extremely limited access, require more complex retrieval efforts but are projected for completion by the week of Dec. 24, weather permitting.

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 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.

Cochran-Johnson reaffirmed the county’s commitment to long-term enforcement, prevention, and community restoration. 

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 eclaiming DeKalb’s 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.