Neighbors Keep Watch for Dumped Tires Near South Bay Road; Here's How the County Handles Them

Johnson Point residents say tires were left along a roadside on the peninsula last year, and neighbors in South Bay and Boston Harbor have been trading notes on what to do if it happens again.

Thurston County splits the job by where the junk lands.

Dumping on a county road shoulder or right-of-way goes to Thurston County Public Works, which takes reports at 360-867-2300, by email at [email protected] or through an online road service request, according to the county. Public Works asks callers to note where the item is, when it was found and to take a photo, and not to touch hazardous items.

Dumping on private land is different. The county's Environmental Health solid waste program says property owners may be responsible for cleaning up what others dump on their land, but the program can help try to find out who was responsible. Reports go through the county's Environmental Health issue reporting form, and the program asks people to leave contact information so it can investigate.

Improperly piling up garbage, junk vehicles and debris on private property in unincorporated Thurston County is a violation of the county sanitary code, and the program says it can escalate to fines and prosecution if owners don't make progress. Burning tires or other rubber products is never allowed, the county says.

For anyone with old tires to get rid of legally, the county's Waste and Recovery Center at 2420 Hogum Bay Road Northeast in Lacey accepts passenger-car and pickup tires for recycling, with or without rims, up to five per customer per day, according to the county's solid waste rules. Tires are charged by weight; current fees are on the county's 2026-2027 rates page.

The center is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends, with the entrance gate closing at 4:45 p.m., according to Public Works. Questions go to the county's solid waste line at 360-867-2491.

Volunteers who want to clean up a stretch of road themselves can sign up through the county's Community Litter Cleanup Volunteer Program, which supplies bags and asks crews to leave hazardous waste for county staff.