EVERETT — Something might finally be done about thousands of old tires that for years have littered a swath of forest and wetlands between Mukilteo and Everett.
The state Department of Ecology plans to clean up a massive tire dump in Japanese Gulch, part of a statewide effort to clear more than 3 million tires from more than 100 locations, department spokesman Larry Altose said.
“It’s going to happen,” Altose said.
People who frequent Japanese Gulch have estimated that as many as 3,000 tires litter the streambed that begins near Highway 526 and runs north through Everett and Mukilteo to Possession Sound.
Old car bodies, rusted barrels and large chunks of concrete are among the debris that can be seen toward the upper end of the gulch.
Studies have shown that tires left in rivers and streams can release chemicals capable of harming young fish, fish embryos and larvae, said John Incardona, research toxicologist for NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle.
Tires contain chemical compounds that are used when softening and blackening tire rubber, Incardona said. The chemicals can leach from tires for up to a decade, harming aquatic life, he said.
“Any time you have a petroleum product, you have these compounds,” Incardona said. “The concern is they can leach out and have an effect on aquatic life.”
Unfortunately, the tires have already been in the gulch for at least a decade, Mukilteo City Councilman Kevin Stoltz said. Still, he was thrilled to hear the tires might finally be cleaned up.
“That will be a great thing, to remove those once and for all,” he said.
In addition to the environmental concerns, the tires have also been an eyesore to people who use the gulch for recreation.
Trevor Vanderwielen, husband of Mukilteo City Councilwoman Emily Vanderwielen, is one of many area residents who runs and bikes through the gulch. He recently sent photos of the tires to Everett and Mukilteo officials to remind them of the long-running problem.
He was pleased to hear about the state’s plan to remove the tires.
“I think it’s great; it’s a shame that someone ever dumped them there,” Vanderwielen said. “It’s good to clean them up, and the people who put them there should be funding it.”
The tire cleanups are being paid for using the state’s Waste Tire Removal Account, which has been funded by a $1 tax on new tires since 2005.
A group of volunteers tried to remove the tires three years ago using a homemade pulley system. However, they were stopped by Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, which owns property in the gulch and was concerned about the liability issues of using volunteers.
Until now, no other effort had been made to remove the tires from the gulch.
“There are so many excuses why we can’t remove them, and then something like this happens,” Stoltz said. “It’s so uplifting. Sometimes, something like this can happen without huge obstacles.”
Reporter Scott Pesznecker: 425-339-3436 or spesznecker@heraldnet.com.
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