$29-million waste station opens in Westmoreland
Loading article...
WESTERN BUREAU:
There is hope that garbage collection in Westmoreland will improve significantlyfollowing the opening of a $29-million waste transfer station, which will allow trucks to make multiple collection runs instead of spending much of the day transporting waste to St James.
Speaking at the commissioning of the new transfer station in George’s Plain, Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie said it should bring greater efficiency to the parish’s waste-management system as it will feature a solar system and an office.
“When I was mayor of Kingston, that was when the concept of this transfer station came into discussions. It never happened then, but it has happened now,” said McKenzie.
According to McKenzie, the project should not be viewed through a partisan lens, noting that the concept originated under a People’s National Party (PNP) administration.
“The concept started then under a PNP administration, and we will never deny that if something was originated with somebody, we’re not going to take the praise and say this all belongs to us, because it has to be a collective response from all of us,” he said.
McKenzie said the biggest benefit to Westmoreland would be improved efficiency, particularly by reducing the number of long trips collection trucks have to make to the Retirement disposal site in St James.
“Now to move from Westmoreland to Retirement in St James is not an easy task,” he said, explaining that a truck making a morning trip could spend the entire afternoon travelling to St James and returning to Westmoreland.
Under the new arrangement, trucks will be able to collect garbage, deposit it at George’s Plain, and return to their collection routes, while accumulated waste will later be transported to the disposal facility in St James.
“This will allow proper collection of garbage to be done,” McKenzie said. “I want to make the point that this is not a major landfill. It is a transfer station.”
Savanna-la-Mar Mayor Danree Delancy welcomed the facility.
“This has been a long time coming,” said Delancy, saying the initial efforts started between 2006 and 2007. “I am looking forward to seeing improved garbage collection services as a result of this facility.”
Audley Gordon, executive director of the National Solid Waste Management Authority, cautioned residents, saying it the facility is strictly for municipal waste generated by households and communities and is not a general dumping ground for things such as construction debris.
“This is not a disposal site, so don’t come here if you are doing your renovation on your house. This is only for municipal waste,” said Gordon. “We will have 24-hour security; it is in place already. Don’t let me come here and see truckloads of construction debris coming to the holding area.”
albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com