After more than a decade, Mt. Trashmore is no more, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
State Rep. Tomas Uresti, who represents the district, says the horribly ugly pile of more than two million old tires which stood on Applewhite Rd. not far from the Toyota plant has been cleaned up and removed by the land's new owner, Copart, Inc.
Copart, which wants to expand onto the site, agreed to clean up Mt. Trashmore when it purchased the property last year.
"Copart is pleased to be part of the solution to the tire disposal site," said Copart CEO Jay Adair, "This is not just good business for Copart, it’s also good environmental stewardship. It’s the right thing to do."
Uresti says the tire pile, which was created by the previous owner over the span of more than a decade, may have been the most hazardous site in Bexar County. Spilling over an area larger than seven football fields, the tire pile was not only ugly, but the tires captured standing water, encouraging the breeding of the mosquitoes that carry Zika and West Nile.
Uresti says had Mt. Trashmore ever caught fire, the fire would have burned for nine months, and created a major ecological disaster, releasing deadly cyanide and carbon monoxide near three major sites and hundreds of homes.
Uresti and State Sen. Jose Menendez (D-San Antonio), in a direct reaction to the dangers posed by Mt. Trashmore, introduced a bill to severely restrict the dumping of old tires, but it was vetoed by Gov. Abbott.