A massive community effort targeted hundreds of illegally dumped tires from a 16.3-acre wooded property at New York State Route 106 and Locust Avenue, owned by the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District at a March 22 cleanup.
The initiative, led by East Norwich resident and community organizer Mitch
Kramer, is a collaborative effort between the school district, the Town of Oyster Bay, and local businesses and community members.
The site, originally gifted to the school district by the McKay-Moore family in 1958, has long remained undeveloped as a protected environmental area.
In recent years, however, it has become a dumping ground for waste tires, with new piles appearing as recently as two weeks ago. Kramer, who lives nearby, discovered the extent of the problem when his neighbor Chris Darpa stumbled upon the tire heaps while walking through the woods.
"We knew it was a monumental task, and I think people were struggling with how to figure out how to do it," Kramer said. "So my neighbor and I decided, ‘You know what? Let's organize it and do it ourselves."
Kramer, who has experience in the marine salvage industry, quickly reached out to local authorities and businesses for support. The Town of Oyster Bay, which typically accepts only four tires per household at its disposal site, agreed to take in as many as necessary to aid the cleanup.
“The town is proud to partner with local organizations to remove abandoned tires and restore our environment,” Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino wrote in a statement. “By working together, we're not only cleaning up our community but also protecting our natural resources for future generations."
Superintendent of Schools Francesco Ianni also expressed gratitude for the
community’s involvement and emphasized the district’s commitment to preventing future dumping.
"This is a big problem, not just for the environment but also for the community," Ianni said. "With all the measures we have in place, hopefully people will think twice before dumping here again."
To tackle the steep, wooded terrain, volunteers will use a pulley system with trucks to haul up 10 to 15 tires at a time. The tires will be collected in dumpsters before being transported to the town's disposal site. Several local construction and waste management companies have offered machinery, crews, and dumpsters to assist with the effort.
Kramer said the plan has been tested successfully, and he is optimistic about the execution. "It sounds great on paper," he said. "We'll see how it goes."
Due to the rugged conditions and the presence of ticks, organizers have limited volunteer participation to adults and those with experience handling heavy materials.
While the cleanup will remove the existing waste, efforts are also being made to prevent future illegal dumping. The school district has purchased cameras that will provide surveillance of the area.
These cameras will be linked to mobile devices, allowing law enforcement and community members to monitor activity in real time. Additionally, a newly installed license plate reader on Route 106 will capture vehicle
data, helping authorities track potential offenders. Signs will also be posted in the area to deter illegal dumping.
"We wanted to put up trail cams along here, and the police put in a license plate reader," Kramer explained. "If dumping happens again, we’ll have a way to track it."
Once the tire removal is complete, the school district plans to involve students in a long-term cleanup effort. The school’s environmental club is expected to lead future initiatives to restore the land to its natural beauty.
The cleanup event will take place on Saturday, with town sanitation crews assisting from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. While volunteer slots are filled, community members are encouraged to support the initiative by spreading awareness about the importance of environmental stewardship.
"We were shocked by how many people came together to make this happen," Kramer said. "It’ll be fun, and we’ll get it done."
