The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has launched a Waste Tire Pilot Program (WTPP), providing municipalities and parishes with financial support to address unauthorized waste tire disposal within their jurisdictions. Program funding will be distributed to awardees via reimbursements of expenses, with an overall financial cap for the program.
In 2024, DEQ Secretary Aurelia Giacometto hosted a series of town halls across six regions of Louisiana to connect with local officials and community members on the waste tire issue. The agency released a comprehensive report in March 2025 outlining the following key areas:
- Regulatory oversight of DEQ’s Waste Tire Management Program,
- Impacts of illegally dumped tires on business and communities, and
- Potential applications to combat the waste tire problem.
DEQ introduced this pilot program to address findings from the report and combat illegally dumped tires by working collaboratively with local governments. Because municipalities and parishes may experience impacts differently, the program enables awardees to apply for funding to tackle their unique waste tire problems.
Among the eligible uses of WTPP funds are:
- Equipment purchases related to cleanup or prevention,
- Costs for municipal or parish worker handling enforcement, collection, or installation of barriers and fencing, and
- Cleanup of newly discovered illegal‑dump sites.
