CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – THE illegal dumping of sewage in the Morning Star area has left some residents literally fuming at the serious health risks it poses.
Speaking with this media house yesterday (Nov. 16), one resident said a business owner who offers sewage disposal services to the public dumped a truckload of the substance behind his property on Friday afternoon. The resulting stench for residents was “horrible”.
The woman said it was around 4:00 p.m. when she noticed the truck at the back of the lot with its engine running and two men in attendance. She said that after about 20 minutes the engine stopped and she saw the men pulling a black hose out of the bush. Sometime later she realised a foul smell was emanating from the area and she went to investigate in the company of two residents. When they got to where the truck had been parked, and peered into the undergrowth, they discovered the area was saturated with decomposing fecal matter.
A report was made to the Nevis Solid Waste Management Authority and General Manager Carlyn Lawrence visited the area on Saturday.
Lawrence confirmed that she had received a report and visited the area, and had spoken with the business owner about him covering the area.
The General Manager said the situation is a major concern and people are not as conscientious and civic-minded as they should be. She revealed that the Authority received complaints in the past about illegal dumping but has never been able to take action because persons are unwilling to testify.
“We have an idea as to who these persons are because not a lot of persons offer these services, but witnesses are not willing to come forward.”
There are three providers of such services on the island.
Lawrence told the radio programme, Refuse News, today that since this method of sewage disposal is relatively new to the island there are no specific laws and regulations governing it. She said however, that the offence falls under the nuisance abatement act and could be pursued accordingly.
The Authority offers a dumping site at a fee of $125 per load but, according Lawrence, the service providers seem bent on cutting corners at all costs. She said her department also provides material for treatment at the disposal site but, even this, the operators are reluctant to use, seemingly never have the 10-15 minutes required for the operation.
Lawrence and co-host of Refuse News, Curtis Morton, appealed to the public to report any incidents of illegal dumping to her department and the Environmental Health Department so the perpetrators could be dealt with.
