Hundreds of tires illegally dumped in Železnik pose environmental risk

A substantial quantity of waste tires has been illegally deposited on a private parcel of land near Železnik, Serbia, sparking alarm among local residents and environmental activists. Milica Lukić Petrović, an activist who investigated the site after being contacted by concerned citizens, described the accumulation as a "landfill" of tires, indicating a systematic and illegal disposal operation.

Lukić Petrović stated that the sheer volume of tires suggests the dumping is not the act of individual citizens unaware of proper disposal methods. Instead, she believes a commercial entity is responsible, violating regulations by using land not designated for such purposes. The tires are in direct contact with the soil and vegetation, posing a threat of environmental contamination.

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The quantity and scale itself indicate to me that this is not some accidental disposal, meaning that an individual citizen did not know what to do with the tires and left them there, but that it is a business entity, a company that acts in complete opposition to the law and disposes of tires on a surface that is not intended for it, because it is a field, a green area.

Beyond environmental damage, the improperly stored tires present a serious risk to public health and safety. As highly flammable material, they pose a significant fire hazard, particularly with the onset of high temperatures. Serbian law mandates specific procedures for managing waste tires, requiring permits for collection, transport, storage, and treatment, with strict record-keeping obligations to be reported to the relevant agency.

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Tires are in direct contact with the soil, with vegetation, which can affect environmental pollution, but also represents a high risk to public health and the safety of citizens. Because it is a flammable material, it also represents a high risk in the context of the high temperatures that await us.