Scott residents concerned about fumes from tire landfill

Some homeowners in Scott are sounding the alarm about a tire landfill they claim is emitting fumes.
People who live just yards away from the landfill are concerned that smoke fumes from self-combustion underneath the mounds of tire scraps can be hazardous to their health.
Scott Fire Chief Chad Sonnier said he got the call about 10 days ago about fire at the landfill. The chief remembers about three years ago when there was a fire at the site.
“Obviously if we don’t address this fire in a quick manner, it’s going to spread and that’s our concern,” Sonnier stated.
The chief is also working under Lafayette Hazmat. He says the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), fire marshal and landowner have been notified.
In the meantime, DEQ and Scott Fire are conducting daily air quality checks.
“Right now, the area outside the facility is safe but if it’s not addressed soon, we might have some issues,” Sonnier noted.
DEQ Press Secretary Greg Langley says the tires were placed as a land stabilizing project.
“There is a project there, it was a C&D Landfill Construction Demolition Materials and they were doing a bank stabilization. They had some problems previously in 2018 where there was fire and smoke; they dug it out and the tire chips used to stabilize the bank. That time they got it out,” Langley stated.
The chief says three years later the materials underneath are oxidizing and generating heat and that leads to spontaneous combustion.
“We have issued compliance orders to the principals in the project. We asked them to come up with ways to get the fire out and we are assisting in directing their efforts,” Langley explained.
The chief calculates the landfill to be 30 – 45 feet deep in different areas.
The Fire Marshal’s Office says they’ve received a request for help with equipment.