Admiral’s picks up SWMC slack, garbage collection system returning to state of normalcy

By Ryan Haas
Reporter-SKNVibes.com

Waste piles up near the SKNFA Football House days before FIFA officials were scheduled to visit

Harrington Bristol, Sr., Managing Director for Admiral’s informed SKNVibes.com yesterday (July 22) that they were happy to offer [their] help at a time when the breakdown of SWMC services could have caused many problems for St. Kitts.

“We all need to be more civic minded at a time like this by managing our waste better. Right now we are not concerned about pay; all we asked the SWMC for was man power on the additional routes and help with fuel costs. Our biggest concern was to prevent health issues.”

According to Bristol, the Admiral’s trucks have been assisting the SWMC for two years in rural areas from West Farm to St. Paul’s, but when SWMC trucks ceased functioning two weeks ago the private company willingly offered to take up the remainder of rural routes from Keys to Dieppe Bay.

“I think some people in public forums have blown the situation out of proportion. It’s not even about tourists coming in, as some people want to make it. If we can’t keep the island clean for ourselves, then why is anyone else going to want to come here?” Bristol questioned.

He stressed that the public must also do its part to return waste removal to a normal state, noting that in some areas people continue to throw their waste on the ground after the Admiral’s trucks have serviced the spot.

While rural areas in St. Kitts have experienced mild disruptions in services, a majority of the public’s complaints have come from residents in Basseterre and its surrounding environs, which fall solely under the jurisdiction of the SWMC.  ~~Adz:Right~~

According to word on the street, the public’s main concerns continue to be the threat of disease that grows exponentially as stray animals and thriving insect populations are attracted to the piled up waste.

“The situation with the garbage not being removed is a health epidemic waiting to happen. I cannot understand how all the trucks are not operational at the same point in time,” Shawn Richards, Deputy Leader of the People’s Action Movement and Parliamentary Representative for Constituency 5 stated to local media when asked about the situation.

When repeatedly contacted for information on what the SWMC was doing to repair its trucks and provide relief to those in the Basseterre area, the Manager of the SWMC, Alphonso Bridgewater refused to comment and would only say that, “no new information is available. When something changes the SWMC will let [the public] know”.

Bristol said that he believes the breakdown of the SWMC trucks was due to combination of factors that have been building for several years.

“The housing industry has grown exponentially in a short period of time, which has caused the SWMC trucks to be far overworked and in trouble for the past year. They are just too light-duty and not meant to work those kinds of hours or endure that kind of abuse.

“The SWMC has had trouble collecting funding it is owed too. That in combination with the amount of waste being created in this disposable age has led to the situation long outgrowing what their capacity is,” said Bristol.

Admiral’s currently operates two heavy duty trucks, and are looking to bring two more into their fleet within the next sixty days. Bristol stated that his company strongly believes in routine maintenance such as regular oil changes and brake work to keep their equipment in top form.

“All we are trying to do is meet the national call and assist the SWMC in any way we can. We have had a good working relationship with them in the past and if this current situation led to more long term work we would gladly accept, but our main goal is to just keep doing what we can.”