Owner of G&M tire dump is pledging cooperation as a state-mandated contractor steps in to begin the first phase of a massive cleanup.

Indiana Department of Environmental Management announced this week that Dillon Tire Recycling of North Liberty would begin removing tires from a massive tire dump site next month as part of an $800,000 state-funded cleanup.

Garry Baker, who tried for years to turn the corner with state cooperation in reducing the millions of tires, said Thursday he will do everything he can to help - even if it entails working side by side with the contractor.

"I told the state I'd work with the contract 100 percent," he said.

"Hopefully, maybe they'll hire me as a laborer and I can help speed up the process," he said.

The project will focus on a storage site containing about 225,000 discarded tires. It will begin next month and is slated to take about six months to complete. Afterward, the state will look at the bigger pile that contains about 3 million tires.

While he is supportive, he and an area lawmaker expressed concerns about the cost of such a project.

"People are going to be shocked at the cost of cleaning up this in-town site," Baker said.

"We still could have done it a lot cheaper," he said.

Baker declined to estimate what the cost might be.

State Rep. Dave Wolkins (R-Winona Lake) said he also thinks the private sector could have done it cheaper than the apparent $3.20 cost per tire that now looms.

Funding from the project comes from fines and not tax dollars, Wolkins pointed out.

Wolkins supported Baker's efforts for years to get some type of program running. However, months after plans were put into action, partners working with Baker dissolved their agreement.

"The state has a chance to do it. We'll see how the people like paying that kind of money to clean up that number of tires," Wolkins said.

Based on the cost of the first phase, the bigger project could cost millions of dollars.

"If they try doing it again and try spending $9 million to clean it up, they'll hear from me again," Wolkins said.

Dillon Tire is expected to haul some of the tires to Illinois for use as tire-derived fuel. The remainder will be shredded for reuse.

Although officials agree the tire piles represent a potential health hazard, the project is termed an emergency cleanup only because of the funding used. Its emergency status allows the state to not follow normal bidding procedures, Wolkins said. [[In-content Ad]]