Man Captured For Dumping 1,500 Tyres In South Carolina

A man identified as Terry Scott Owens, Jr has been allegedly arrested in Spartanburg County, South Carolina for illegally dumping thousands of old tires in various wooded areas.

According to a further report, the Greenville County trash hauler, has been accused of dumping over 1,500 worn-out tires in five different sites, with officers suspecting there may be twice that number in remote areas east of downtown Spartanburg.

The case of illegal dumping has been going on for 10 months, according to the Environmental Enforcement Department.

Owens was arrested on Saturday morning and charged with five counts of littering more than 500 pounds of material, one count for each of the five dumping sites.

He was later released on a $250 surety bond. Officers say Owens had been visiting various tire businesses and offering to remove their waste tires, with one location allegedly paying him $1.50 per tire.

South Carolina law calls for fines between $500 and $1,000 and up to a year in jail for those convicted of illegal dumping.

The law also states that anyone found guilty may be ordered to clean up the illegal dump site and perform community service.

However, Jamie Nelson, director of the Environmental Enforcement Department, suggests that rather than increasing fines, the state should provide funding for counties with agencies like theirs to battle illegal dumping.