A massive tire dump that stretches through a remote arroyo in northeastern New Mexico will be cleaned up as part of a settlement reached with a ranching operation.
State Land Commissioner Ray Powell and Environment Secretary Dave Martin announced the settlement with Daniels Ranches and Kansas Equity Investments on Friday.
Hundreds of thousands of scrap tires were put on state trust land over several years by Harold Daniels, a Mora County rancher and owner of the Northeast New Mexico Regional Landfill. Daniels had said he diverted tires from the landfill as part of an erosion control effort.
Under the settlement, Daniels will remove the tires and reclaim the area. He must also pay a civil penalty and a fee based on how many tires are removed.
The state has estimated that the cleanup could cost as much as $1 million.
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