RIO GRANDE CITY – The potential for locally transmitted Zika cases has Starr County cracking down on illegal dumping, especially discarded tires that can hold standing water for weeks.

A $25,000 tool cuts tires into four pieces in 45 seconds. Starr County Commissioner Eloy Garza said the machine was worth every penny.

It’s slowly reducing illegal dumping.

“It has helped a lot, you know. But we still have intruders from other precincts that come and dump their tires out here,” he said.

Garza allows residents in his precinct to drop off old tires free of charge.

Once every three months, county crews will go door-to-door and pick them up. It’s not just tires but just about anything else.

“If they got tires, if they got mattresses, if they got anything that needs to be thrown away, get it out in the yard, we’ll pick it up and dispose of it,” he said.

Crews helped clean up a neighborhood last month.

Veronica Rosales said her property was full of junk.

“We didn’t have anywhere to put it, or where to go throw it. We didn’t know,” she said.

When it rained this weekend, Rosales was grateful everything was gone. She is concerned about mosquitoes.

The insects were a huge problem when every property near her home was full of tires collecting standing water.

“Mucho mosquitoes, a lot, and like when we have tires, it gets real green. And we don’t want that. We have kids,” Rosales said.

Garza wants to spread the word about his new program.

“We got the place to dispose all of that. It doesn’t cost you a penny to do it,” he said.

It’s to make the county cleaner and healthier.