No ease in garbage situation

A Jordan, St George resident is questioning why the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) is taking a hands-off approach to an illegal dumping issue in his area.

Andrew Hemsley says he is fed up with the illegal dumping and has consistently contacted the SSA about the matter and officials there have informed him that the matter is out of their hands because the garbage has been dumped on private property.

On June 22, Barbados TODAY published an article highlighting the issue at Jordan’s Plantation where large piles of household items including an old stainless-steel fridge, beds and other items have been dumped by culprits believed to be familiar with the area.

Jordan’s Plantation is owned by Barbados Farms.

Hemsley, a concerned resident said: “And yet we have got a continuing situation where dumping is happening. This wasn’t here when you were here three weeks ago. And I kind of feel that I am putting effort into a situation where we have got tons of rubbish here that I can’t deal with and SSA is turning around and saying that they can’t deal with it because it’s on private land.

“Perhaps they are just doing what SSA has to do and I guess they have all got rules and regulations. But I have seen articles in the press where SSA has been involved in clearing things up and I am pretty sure a lot of those are on private land as well. So, I kind of don’t understand why we are being dealt with differently here. It would just be good to get some help.”

The resident said for about eight years he has taken on the financial burden of clearing the area of garbage that has been illegally dumped along the roadside. He reckoned that over the years he has gathered over 80 pickup trucks worth of rubbish which he has had taken to the dump.

But, Hemsley said it is beyond his ability to deal with the recent piles of garbage that have been dumped at various points throughout the area. He indicated that as recently as last weekend, garbage was dumped in the area.

“You know, I am paying for signs and I am going to have one put down at the bottom of the road and one at the top and just try and get people involved. People are interested. Every time I do the road and clear it up people stop and kind of go ‘great work’. But we need to kind of mobilize people and get them to ring in and report when something is happening.

“So I am paying money for signs and I am paying money for a camera that I am going to hide somewhere and try to address this. And I just want a bit of support from people like the SSA to do something about this. It’s a countrywide issue and I think everybody has got to play their part. I don’t think they can just walk off and say not my problem,” Helmsley noted.

In last month’s article, manager of Buttals Farm Wayne Ward said he was concerned about the serious challenges to farm management from illegal dumping, particularly at Jordan’s Plantation. Ward suggested a focus on ramping up education campaigns to encourage the public to stop dumping.

When contacted, SSA’s Communication Manager Carl Alf Padmore indicated that the matter of dumping in the area continues to be a concern for SSA. He said SSA has met with the plantation’s management and also with Hemsley who continues to highlight the situation.

“We can give them the reassurance that the SSA is not sleeping on the matter. It is just that it is on private property and we don’t have jurisdiction to go on people’s private property. Secondly, as evidence comes in, we can trace it back to an owner, then we can work with the Ministry of Health and the police to bring some type of action to those persons or to that person who is doing the act. We really do sympathize with the residents in this area and we really are urging yet again members of the public to desist from such an ugly act,” Padmore said.
(anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb)