Tax On New Tyres Pays For Clean-up

An eyesore in West Virginia is about to be cleared up by the State authorities as part of a state-wide clearance campaign. A stream in Japanese Gulch contains an estimated 3,000 scrap tyres and has been an eyesore for the best part of a decade.

Japanese Gulch is only part of the problem, however; across West Virginia there are an estimated three million scrap tyres in over 100 locations waiting to be cleared up.

The initiative was funded by imposing a tax of $1 on sales of new tyres; the tax has been payable since 2005.