LONG POINT, Nevis – EFFORTS at disposing scrap metal on Nevis received a boost with the arrival of a compacter at the island’s landfill site
The arrival of the compactor, which is owned by the St. Maartin Company – Scorpion, follows an amnesty where fees were waived for owners of abandoned vehicles them took them to the landfill. General Manager of the Solid Waste Management Authority Carlyn Lawrence said the amnesty resulted in the collection of 100 vehicles.
Lawrence thanked Minister of Health Hensley Daniel for his continued support of efforts by the Authority to keep Nevis clean, noting that in the past abandoned cars and other appliances have littered Nevis.
She called on mechanics and garage owners to own up abandoned cars so that the island could be kept clean. “Let’s not create habitats for mosquito breeding,” she pleaded.
Operators of the compactor, Collins Condell from St. Maartin and Nevisian Sterling Heyliger, on Friday (Jan. 9) demonstrated to onlookers – including Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Joslyn Liburd – how the machine crushes scrap metal and makes it ready for shipping.
Heyliger, who is Scorpion’s representative in Nevis, explained that the compactor had the capacity to crush and package for shipping 100 cars per day.
Liburd said during the demonstration that the disposal of scrap metal would make sure Nevis is kept clean and healthy.
Deputy Chairman of the Authority’s Board, Ron Daniel said the disposal of scrap metal was a step in the right direction.
Daniel said he was impressed when he drove into the landfill at the marked absence of flies. He said keeping the landfill clean would ensure a healthy environment for residents.
Daniel also said Nevis was only 36 square miles and it could not afford to store abandoned cars, even though mechanics are reluctant to dispose of them – saying they needed parts from the cars.
Health Advisor Patricia Hanley called on mechanics to heed to the ongoing car amnesty and take all abandoned vehicles to the landfill. She said disposal of scrap metal goes a long way to prevent communicable diseases and ensure that Nevis is kept healthy.
