Offenders to be fined for illegal dumping
By Ryan Haas
Reporter-SKNVibes.com
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Waste illegally dumped on Lozack Road
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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts-THOUGH regularly scheduled waste removal has resumed around St. Kitts, Wilmon McCall, Operations Manager of the Solid Waste Management Corporation (SWMC) has informed SKNVibes that illegal dumping has actually worsened in the past few weeks.
“I am a little alarmed that Kittitians would find it convenient to deposit waste in areas like the ferry terminal, Independence Square and the area between the newly built Football House and Warner Park Stadium,” McCall told SKNVibes.
The Operations Manager said the SWMC was willing to accept its responsibility for waste management problems resulting from the recent breakdown of its trucks, but added that the general public must not use the now resolved equipment issue as an excuse for poor waste management practices.
“[The SWMC] had encouraged very poor managerial habits by picking up waste in the Basseterre area sometimes four or six times a week.
“People have taken advantage of the recent situation…and we feel this is an opportunity to change things back to the way they should be,” said McCall.
Illegal dumping in the aforementioned areas has continued in spite of “all of St. Kitts” now receiving regular weekly pickups, and McCall said there would be repercussions for those who continue to flout laws prohibiting the practice.
“Not only are people dumping in Basseterre, but there are certain persons who are taking advantage of the situation by gathering people’s waste under the pretense of taking it to the landfill, collecting a small fee and then dumping it in the cane fields.” ~~Adz:Right~~
He added that the SWMC has begun collecting names and addresses from illegally dumped waste and issuing fines to the owners of said waste.
“It is not necessarily the person dumping the waste who is receiving the tickets and I would advise people not to trust these people to properly dispose of their waste.
“With the once a week pick up schedule there is really no need at all to be giving your garbage to anyone except the trucks of the SWMC.”
In an attempt to educate persons about the new schedule, the SWMC will be posting a sign at the area opposite the Football House indicating that dumping is not allowed there and that the regularly scheduled pick up for garbage in that environ is Saturdays at 4:30 p.m.
Additionally, McCall said the SWMC has personally visited all of the residents on Lozack Street to ask for their cooperation and inform them that any waste put out before the appointed time would be considered illegal, whether it is placed in a container or not.
“It is not that we are trying to be hard on anybody, we are merely encouraging a change in habit—especially as we prepare for the upcoming tourist season,” he stated.
