DALLAS -

Copart has cleared the estimated over one million abandoned scrap tires that the company pledged to remove from the former San Antiono tire disposal site it just acquired in January.

It has only been about five months since the company promised to fund and oversee the clearing of the 36 acres of land that housed the former Safe Tire Disposal Corp. facilityso that Copart can expand its vehicle storage and auction operations in South San Antonio.

Not only has the removal of over one million tires allowed the company to further grow its footprint in Bexar County, but Copart also announced Thursday that keeping its promise to South San Antonio has alleviated the threat of fire and mosquito-borne diseases to close-by residents, as well.

Before Copart took over the 36-acre tire disposal site, mounds of scrapped rubber dumped across the property remained a problem in South San Antonio for several years despite enforcement actions from state agencies.

"Copart has removed a major blight and safety hazard from San Antonio, living up to our promise to the community and to city, county and state officials," Copart chief executive officer Jay Adair said in a news release. "The removal of these tires, significantly ahead of schedule, will allow Copart to expand our operations in Bexar County. It also underscores our sound business and environmental practices."

In 2014,  the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality conducted an investigation after the state received complaints from San Antonio residents that mosquitoes were coming from the property.

"We're proud to be able to provide this service to the local community in San Antonio," said Randy Racine, Copart associate general counsel. "After taking ownership of the property this year, we immediately and permanently resolved a seemingly intractable safety and environmental issue to the benefit of South San Antonio residents and Texas as a whole, and we're glad to have turned this former environmental headache into an environmental success story."