Retired man takes on nemesis, cleans up 15,000 discarded tires

Jon Merryman, 62, of Catonsville, Md. spent hours cleaning up a dump site near Greenbelt Park in Prince George's County, Md on May 27. He's spent close to a decade clearing America's dead-ends and highway off-ramps of discarded tires. (Jason Nark/For The Washington Post) By Jason Nark

Soaked in dark, stagnant water and sweat, Jon Merryman stood at the bottom of a Maryland ravine choked with poison ivy, trash and his arch nemesis: illegally discarded tires.

A horde of mosquitoes buzzed around his head, but just like the occasional rat, snake or hornet’s nest he’s uncovered over the years, he seemed unfazed by the bloodsuckers.