Efforts are underway to decrease illegal tire dumping in Vermilion Parish.

After months of investigative work, the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested Juan Carlos Montiel of Larose for the illegal dumping of waste tires in Vermilion Parish.

Montiel is alleged to have dumped hundreds of tires in the Vermilion Parish area over a two-year period using an enclosed cargo trailer. 

In a statement, Sheriff Mike Couvillon, said, “Let this case be an example to anyone choosing Vermilion Parish as a tire dumping ground. Dump tires in our parish, and we will investigate with the goal of sending those responsible to jail.”

Since then, Abbeville Mayor Mark Piazza and Vermilion Parish Police Jury President Kevin Sagrega say they’ve seen a reduction in large quantities of illegal tire dumping.

At a Vermilion Parish Police Jury public meeting last week, one of the agenda items called ‘to amend the ordinance regarding dumping in the parish and add a larger fine for tire dumping.’

Sagrera says there hasn’t been any action regarding that agenda item as of yet. It was just a topic of discussion.

Legal Counsel is in charge of drafting a written ordinance for tire dumping for the police jury to agree upon.

If you see illegal dumping happening, the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office advises you to take a picture of the license plate or write down a simple description of what the vehicle looks like to help law enforcement.