A program credited with curbing the illegal dumping of scrap tires in Limestone County will soon be ending, according to a release from the County Commission.

Beginning Dec. 15, shops in each of the four county districts will no longer be able to accept scrap tires, because a grant from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management is ending.

Limestone County first received the grant in spring 2012 and has since received $300,000. The release said the county, like other counties in the South, faced the problem of illegal dumping.

“The … litter crews spent a great deal of time investigating illegal dumping and then cleaning up the sites,” the release said. “When the county received the ADEM grant, that all changed.”

Those funds have enabled the recycling of about 115,000 tires.

“This is approximately 2,000 tons of tires kept out of ditches, woods and pastures caused by illegal dumping,” the release said.

The commission contracted with Liberty Tire Recycling LLC, which dropped off and picked up trailers that held discarded tires dropped off by residents. The recycled tires have been used to make a variety of products, from playground mats to additives for concrete mix.

“The County Commission regrets the ending of this worthwhile program, but is grateful to the Department of Environmental Management for the years of funding to such a great project,” the release said. “The Limestone County District Commissioners ask that you continue to help keep Limestone County free of scrap tires by disposing of them in a responsible manner.”