Kansas City begins 'Operation Tire Toss'

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (May 13)—Local officials and neighborhood groups in the Kansas City area are collaborating with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to establish "Operation Tire Toss." The project promotes the proper disposal of waste tires to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus. The virus killed seven and sickened more than 160 others in Missouri last year alone. Volunteers will stack tires on semi-trailers provided by licensed haulers and processors, who then will take the tires to be burned as fuel at the Aquila Inc. power plant in Sibley, Mo., and possibly other power plants as well.