MARQUETTE, Mich. (AP) — Two nonprofit groups are teaming up with communities in the Upper Peninsula to properly dispose of old automobile tires that have been dumped over the years.

The Superior Watershed Partnership and Great Lakes Conservation Corps plan to remove the tires, which contain chemicals and heavy metals that can pollute land and water, and haul them to the nearest approved recycling center.

Almost all communities in the U.P. have a scrap tire problem of some sort; tires illegally dumped in the woods, stockpiles of used tires or tires used for erosion control.

The two groups are mostly accepting car and truck tires as well as some tractor tires. They collected over 2,000 tires in one weekend, after coordinating efforts with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and area residents.

SWP Special Projects Coordinator Mindy Kantola said the main goal of the project is to remove old scrap tires from the woods and waterways on private and public lands.

This year’s effort is focused on the entire Upper Peninsula and is funded by a grant through the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.