Attorney General charges 2 with dumping over 1,000 tires in Capitol State Forest, threatening local salmon

The Washington State Attorney General’s Office charged two people after they allegedly dumped more than 1,000 tires in the Capitol State Forest near Olympia in 2024.

Washington State Department of Natural Resources employees discovered that the two individuals allegedly dumped approximately 1,009 tires in Capitol State Forest over the course of two weeks, according to a news release from the AG’s Office.

Each person was charged with seven counts of unlawful dumping of solid waste and two counts of transporting waste tires without a license, which are both gross misdemeanors. The AG’s Office noted each count of a gross misdemeanor can carry a sentence of up to 364 days in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.

The two people rented a truck, picked up the tires from tire shops along I-5, resold what they could, and dumped the rest in the forest, according to charging documents.

“Businesses that haul and dispose of tires must be licensed to ensure tires are handled properly, but these two individuals did not have a license,” the AG’s Office stated.

1,009 tires dumped in Capitol State Forest pose threat to salmon

Tires contain a chemical that can be deadly to salmon. Therefore, the 1,000 tires could have done substantial damage to the state’s natural resources.

“Our salmon populations are a part of our history, our culture, and our way of life,” Washington State AG Nick Brown stated in the release. “We will continue to hold polluters accountable and protect Washington’s salmon from the lethal harms of illegal dumping.”

The AG’s Office explained tires harbor the chemical 6PPD, which reacts with ozone in the air to form 6PPDQ.

6PPDQ is lethal for coho salmon and other aquatic life. Therefore, tires have to be disposed of correctly.

“Tires must be disposed of properly to ensure that 6PPDQ does not wash into waterways and endanger salmon populations,” officials stated.

The AG’s Office also noted waste tires can carry disease-transmitting vermin and create a fire risk.

There has been a “significant increase” in illegal tire dumping on public and private lands in Washington in recent years, according to officials.

Last year, the AG’s Office found that some tire shops were hiring unlicensed haulers to get rid of their tires. In response, the office sent letters to 339 tire shops urging them to use only licensed providers.

The investigation into illegal tire transportation and dumping is ongoing.

Follow Julia Dallas on X. Read her stories here. Submit news tips here.