When Peter Davis, a part‑time employee of the New Haven Parks Department, thought his crew had finished cleaning up more than 500 tires illegally dumped off Springside Avenue, they returned to find another 100 tires strewn across the woods of West Rock Park.
Volunteer effort expands cleanup
Davis, who has served the city for 40 years—including a stint as the city’s riverkeeper—has been leading the effort to remove illegal dumping from the remote area between Springside Avenue and Wintergreen Brook. Over the past month, Davis, fellow parks staff, and local volunteers such as Benhaven residents David and Jesse and retired firefighter Marty Lendroth have spent an hour a few days each week hauling tires from the brook and forest floor to the street for collection.
“It was a little depressing to go back,” Davis said, noting that the new dump appeared three weeks after the crew thought they were close to finishing the previous haul. “It’s important that we do it.”
Environmental hazards
Parks Director Max Webster warned that the tires pose a serious environmental risk. The rubber does not decompose, allowing chemicals and metal fragments to leach into waterways, threatening aquatic life. Water that pools inside the tires creates breeding grounds for mosquitoes, and the rubber’s abrasive fibers can cause injuries if handled without gloves.
“You can’t ever get water out of the tires once it gets in, unless you cut that tire apart,” Webster explained. “They’re just nasty.”
Law‑enforcement response
Police acknowledge the repeat dumping is an ongoing investigation. Officer Christian Bruckhart called the area a “dark spot” for enforcement, noting the difficulty of installing cameras in such a remote location. The department is exploring trail‑camera options, though darkness may limit effectiveness.
Anyone with information is urged to contact District Manager Lt. Pedro Colon at [email protected].
Impact on local schools
Webster emphasized the proximity of the dump to Common Ground High School, where students learn about local ecology. “It’s a slap in the face to the students,” he said, adding that the illegal dumping devalues the community and undermines efforts to provide meaningful, nature‑based education.
He urged auto shops, contractors, and home renovators to consider the broader cost of such actions, noting that saving a few dollars by dumping tires harms both the environment and the quality of life for residents.
Next steps
Davis estimates roughly 16 tires remain in the latest pile, which he hopes to have removed by Monday. The crew has already disposed of an initial 67 tires, followed by another 27 on a recent Wednesday, bringing the total removed to over 650 since the first dump in late August.
The tires are taken to the transfer station on Middletown Avenue for proper disposal, preventing further contamination of the West Rock watershed.
Original reporting: New Haven Independent — read the source article.
