WILLIAMSON, W.Va. (AP) - West Virginia officials say state workers, volunteers and local workers have removed thousands of tires from a stretch of the Tug Fork River.
Employees of West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, with volunteers and employees from the city of Williamson and the Mingo County Commission removed 2,340 tires from a 100-yard stretch of the river over four days. An agency statement says eight volunteers logged 192 hours during the cleanup from Sept. 26 to Oct. 2.
The location is across the river from South Williamson, Kentucky.
The department says tires were rolled into the river for decades, and they accumulated behind a school, possibly as a result of flooding some 40 years ago.
An estimated 10,000 tires still await removal, and plans are underway for another cleanup next year.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.