EPA Orders Mecca Tire Recycling Facility To Clean Up

First, a foul odor, and now, tens of thousands of recycled tires pose health risks for Mecca residents.

The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday ordered the facility — Consolidated Tire Recyclers — to remove excess tires from it’s property or face big fines.

The EPA has also ordered the facility to stop accepting any new tires.

The EPA started investigating the business last Fall, and at that time, several fire protection concerns were raised.

But a follow-up last month showed that the situation has only gotten worse.

An estimated 90,000 tires are in imminent risk of catching fire, according to the EPA.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs was also there for the visit in May, on land owned by the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians.

“(A fire) can burn tires and lots of other innocent lives,” said Delfina Avendano, 16, a resident of Mecca.

The tribe and EPA have been working together on the investigation for more than five months.

When the EPA returned to the facility on May 11, it noticed the tire pile up had grown.

Then a fire broke out at the facility on May 17, which prompted authorities to move quickly on issuing an order.

“Get them out,” said Alejandra Barajas, 16, a resident of Mecca. “It’s gonna get contaminated. They should move it somewhere where there’s not a lot of people living there.”

The EPA said the source of the foul odor in Mecca is coming from a soil recycling facility — Western Environmental — located on tribal land.

The EPA says the investigation into the tire build up is unrelated to the smell.

But Consolidated Tire Recyclers is located just yards away from Western Environmental — two major health hazards in Mecca and they’re next-door neighbors.

The tribe issued the tire recycling facility a notice of violation and order on May 26, which required the business to better manage it’s tires.

The EPA’s action is more immediate — preventing the facility from accepting any more waste tires.

All flammable materials near tires also have to be removed.

Still, residents want faster results.

“Actually, the governments not helping us over here at all,” said Avendano. “It’s not improving the way we want.”

Senator Barbara Boxer released a statement Tuesday on the tire situation and said, “I am pleased that the EPA is taking action to protect the health and well-being of the community.”

If the EPA’s order is not followed, Consolidated Tires faces fines of up to $7,500 per day.