Valley of the tires Hazardous waste landfill in the US, 1986. The site is a failed experiment in the co-disposal of liquid hazardous waste and municipal waste. The municipal waste was supposed to absorb the hazardous liquids but it did not work and the liquids seeped out. Tires were placed on top to hide the seepage. A liquid collection system was installed in the 1990s and the tires were removed and the site capped.

Photograph: Jim Hill/National Geographic Your Shot