Trash Pile Up Raises Tensions at Cedar Grove
By Ryan Haas
Reporter-SKNVibes.com
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts- WILMON McCall, Operations Manager of the St. Kitts Waste Management Corps (SWMC), expressed his irritation at a recent breakdown in the trash collection plan for Cedar Grove, St. Peters which has resulted in a large amount of trash being piled up along the road side.
“Because the roads are so steep and dangerous in Cedar Grove it is difficult for our trucks to navigate and maneuver so SWMC has had an arrangement with the residents there for the past three years that every Monday from 5a.m.-10a.m. we would place a large bin at the entrance to the area for people to deposit their waste.
“But as more and more people have settled there, the amount of garbage has 
increased and some of the newer residents may not be aware of the longstanding procedures,” said McCall.
The issue came to a head on Monday April 7th when a communication issue at the SWMC caused the normally scheduled bin to arrive late and residents of Cedar Grove began improperly dumping their garbage.
“One of my employees made an error and did not get the bin up there until around 7a.m., but by the time he arrived people had already thrown their bags on the ground where the bin normally is,” McCall stated.
While the Operations Manager said his department was willing to accept their share of the blame for the incident, he was upset that residents of the area behaved irresponsibly.
~~Adz:Left~~ “I would have expected them to have been more civil about the matter. Instead of calling me and making me aware of the situation, they just threw their trash on the ground and didn’t care. It is illegal for people to dump their waste like that and if I wanted to I could write all of them tickets.”
McCall said he was not looking for extreme solutions, however, and only wanted residents of Cedar Grove to work with the SWMC toward an amicable solution. “I have received many angry and threatening calls about the garbage and I plan to have it removed soon, but people should realize that it never should have been placed there in the first place.
“Leaving trash like that is a very serious health risk. Not only does it bring all kinds of disease carrying vermin and stray animals into the area, but my men will also be at risk of contracting serious diseases when they are required to pick up the trash.”
While the SWMC had been planning on implementing programs similar to Cedar Grove’s in the Half Moon Bay and Mattingley Heights areas, McCall said this incident has caused him to reevaluate his plans. Details for a town hall meeting regarding the Cedar Grove waste disposal are currently being worked out and will be made public when they are available.
