BATON ROUGE, LA — The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) is reminding municipalities and parishes that applications are now being accepted for the agency’s Waste Tire Pilot Program. Submission deadline for program applications is Friday, July 18.
The program — launched to help local governments tackle the widespread problem of unauthorized and illegally dumped waste tires — will provide up to $20,000 per recipient reimbursement-based funding to selected municipalities and parishes. Funding may be used for tire-related cleanup, enforcement and prevention initiatives.
The program was developed following a series of regional town halls hosted by LDEQ in 2024 to explore waste tire challenges across Louisiana. Insights gained from local officials and the public helped shape the program’s design, which aims to support tailored, community-driven approaches to addressing tire dumping.
“This program reflects our commitment to practical, collaborative solutions for Louisiana’s environmental challenges,” LDEQ Secretary Courtney J. Burdette said. “We are proud to provide our local partners with tools that will help clean up communities, protect our environment and enhance public health in a meaningful way.”
Under the leadership of Gov. Jeff Landry, the pilot program represents a renewed emphasis on empowering local governments and improving Louisiana’s environmental outcomes through direct partnerships. Its funding comes from late fees collected under La. R.S. 30:2418(O)(5), which permits LDEQ to allocate those funds for projects that support the goals of the Waste Tire Management Program (WTMP) established in 1989 to promote the responsible recycling and disposal of waste tires.
Examples of eligible uses of funds include:
· Equipment purchases to support cleanup or prevention of illegal dumping
· Overtime or labor costs for parish or municipal staff handling collection or enforcement
· Site-specific cleanup of newly discovered illegal tire dump locations
· Installation of barriers, signage or fencing to prevent future dumping
How to Apply
To be considered for the Waste Tire Pilot Program, municipalities and parishes must submit a proposal by Friday, July 18, outlining how the funds would be used to address unauthorized waste tire disposal in their jurisdiction. Proposals should be mailed to:
Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality
Office of Environmental Services
P.O. Box 4313
Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4313
Attn: Dutch Donlon
Via email: Lewis.Donlon@la.gov
Phone: (225) 219-3388
Selected applicants will enter into an intergovernmental agreement with LDEQ and receive reimbursement for qualifying expenses incurred during the program period.
Key Dates
· Applications open: May 1, 2025
· Application deadline: July 18, 2025
Questions?
For more information, please contact Dutch Donlon in LDEQ’s Office of Environmental Services at Lewis.Donlon@la.gov or (225) 219-3388, or visit our ‘Waste Tires’ webpage at: https://deq.louisiana.gov/page/waste-tires
To learn more about LDEQ’s other environmental programs, visit www.deq.louisiana.gov.
