Ritchie Teams WITH Oswego County to “Fight the Bite” WITH Free Tire Disposal Events

Will Take Place May 17^th and June 14^th at all 5 County Transfer Stations

State Senator Patty Ritchie is joining with Oswego County to “Fight the Bite” and stop the spread of EEE with free tire disposal events taking place on May 17^th and June 14^th.  The events are being held in an effort to help people get rid of waste tires, which often act as breeding ground for disease-carrying mosquitoes. 

The events will allow Oswego County residents to drop off  a maximum of eight tires at five locations throughout the county, with the usual $5 fee for tire-drop off being waived.  Farm tractor tires will also be accepted, but must be cut into four pieces.  Electronic waste, such as used TVs, computers and radios will also be accepted free of charge.

Last year, Oswego County residents disposed of more than 2,000 waste tires at free events sponsored by Senator Ritchie.

“One single waste tire left outdoors can act as a breeding ground for more than one million mosquitoes—that’s a scary statistic when you consider the deadly diseases such as EEE and West Nile that are carried by these insects,” said Senator Ritchie. 

“As summer approaches, the risk for diseases like these increase.  That’s why we need to take the necessary precautions now—like eliminating waste tires—to reduce the risks that could put our health and the health of our loved ones in jeopardy.”

Tires may be dropped off from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the following locations:

Bristol Hill Landfill

3125 NYS Rte. 3

Fulton, NY 13069

(315) 591-9211

Hannibal Transfer Station

1167 Co. Rte. 7

Hannibal, NY 13074

(315) 564-5623

Hastings Transfer Station

1391 US Rte. 11

Hastings, NY 13076

(315) 668-8821

Pulaski Transfer Station

100 Co. Rte. 2A

Pulaski, NY 13142

(315) 298-6062

Oswego Transfer Station

700 East Seneca St.

Oswego, NY 13126

(315) 349-3439

The free tire disposal events are made possible through $275,000 in the new State Budget that Senator Ritchie helped secure to support efforts to stop the spread of Eastern equine encephalitis, the mosquito-borne illness commonly known as EEE.  Over three years, Senator Ritchie has secured a total of $700,000 in additional state budget funds for EEE prevention.

In addition to the free tire disposal events, the funding will also make possible a number of other initiatives including programs to educate children and families about the dangers of EEE, a low-cost vaccination program for horses, which are particularly susceptible to EEE, funding for a new workgroup tasked with developing vaccines against diseases like EEE and additional mosquito control efforts. 

EEE affects horses and other livestock, and rarely occurs in humans. Five human deaths in New York since 1971 all have occurred in Oswego and Onondaga Counties, while dozens of horses have succumbed to the virus.

Following the death of Oswego County’s 4-year old Maggie Sue Wilcox from the EEE virus, Senator Ritchie has been leading the effort to raise awareness of the disease and find ways to stop its spread.

For tips on how you can protect yourself and your loved ones from mosquitoes and the diseases they carry, please click here.