St James Health Department renting 15 garbage trucks for clean-up effort

WESTERN BUREAU:

Lennox Wallace, parish manager for the St James Health Department, says the department is arranging to rent several garbage trucks to carry out its own waste collection in sections of the parish, a move bolstered by concerns about uncollected waste before and after Hurricane Melissa.

Speaking to The Gleaner last Wednesday, Wallace said the move, which will include rental of 15 garbage trucks and two loader vehicles, will not be a collaborative effort with any other agency.

“We will rent trucks and loaders to do our own collection of refuse, because, right now, we cannot depend on the NSWMA (National Solid Waste Management Authority), because of the proliferation of garbage in the area and the inability of the NSWMA to collect same. It will be a health department initiative, not health department and anybody else, and it will start on Monday, December 29 and will run until the end of January,” said Wallace.

“In some communities, like Farm Heights, it was two months before the hurricane wherein you did not have any garbage pickup. Now you have a proliferation of rats, and, if you look at areas like Hart Street, you would see the garbage pile-up, and hence you have the rodent increase,” Wallace added.

The NSWMA’s Western Parks and Markets Limited (WPM) has been criticised for non-collection of garbage in sections of St James in the weeks following Hurricane Melissa’s passage over Jamaica on October 28, compounded by reports of leptospirosis infection because of contact with water contaminated by rats and other animals.

WPM had previously indicated that the Retirement landfill in St James has been taking in roughly 360 to 400 truckloads of waste daily, more than the usual 70 loads daily. The entity also assured that the disposal site has additional equipment to deal with the excess waste.

Responding to Wallace’s declaration, the NSWMA’s community relations manager, Sharnon Williams, said the agency welcomes efforts from other entities toward waste collection as Jamaica recovers from Hurricane Melissa.

“We view any additional capacity brought on by partner agencies as a positive contribution to the overall national recovery effort. Effective debris removal requires sustained, multi-agency action, and we remain committed to working alongside all stakeholders to restore our communities as quickly as possible,” said Williams. “The NSWMA will continue to coordinate its operations to ensure that both hurricane debris and routine waste management needs are addressed in the interest of public health and environmental safety.”

Money for clean-up activities

In the meantime, Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon told The Gleaner that money was allocated to the St James Municipal Corporation’s 17 parochial divisions for clean-up activities leading into the Christmas season.

“There was $34 million allocated for Christmas clean-up, with half of that coming from the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development. We also allocated $51 million for emergency clean-up immediately after Hurricane Melissa, to all 17 divisions,” said Vernon.

“However, the Parochial Revenue Fund is still outstanding, and understandably so, since it is a function of motor vehicle licensing and property taxes, which are below target at the moment. These sources need to be improved so that municipal services can continue in our communities.”

christopher.thomas@gleanerjm.com