Russ Miller is inspiring community action on Kentucky's Red River, earning the nickname "River Cowboy" for his innovative approach to tackling toxic waste.
As The Guardian detailed, Miller realized that the Red River had an "embarrassing" problem when he and his wife moved to the edge of the Red River Gorge in the 1980s: Discarded trash, particularly old tires, was floating along the river like "a conveyor belt."
Besides the waste being unsightly, industry experts, including Performance Plus Tire and Automotive Superstore, estimate that tires take anywhere from 50 to 2,000 years to break down.
Miller didn't want to let his home fall victim to continued contamination, as tires contain toxic chemicals and heavy metals.
The Environmental Protection Agency shared data from the Rubber Manufacturers Association that found the U.S. got rid of around 290 million tires in 2003. With car ownership steadily increasing in the country since then, as Statista detailed, that number has likely soared.
One fall, Miller repurposed old milk jugs into a cost-effective flotation device for the tires, and with the help of his friends, he ushered the waste down the river for removal.
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"That's how he got the 'River Cowboy' name," Kentucky Waterways program director Laura Gregory told The Guardian. "He was the guy herding tires down the river."
In 1996, Miller helped found Friends of Red River to protect the National Natural Landmark, which supports dozens of fish species and attracts thousands of visitors each year for outdoor activities like fishing, kayaking, and rafting, per the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
The Red River is the only Kentucky river that is part of this system — established by Congress in the late 1960s to "preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free-flowing condition for the enjoyment of present and future generations."
To date, Miller has removed an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 tires from the Red River, according to The Guardian. With limited access to legal disposal, particularly in rural areas, tires often end up contaminating the treasured waterway. Unfortunately, trash entering Kentucky water sources is not a new issue.
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Definitely 👍 "Garbage service was sparse in regulation," said John Burchett, board member of Friends of the Tug Fork River. "You took your trash out the back door and threw it over the creek bank. … Now we're dealing with the sins of our forefathers."
As for Miller's Friends of Red River, it hosts monthly community cleanups from June to September as it works to raise awareness about the benefits and importance of conservation.
"While I sometimes feel helpless, I am also hopeful it will change," Miller told The Guardian. "Once the awareness is there, the journey has begun.
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