NSWMA to Remove Derelict Vehicles from St. Thomas

The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) is on a drive to remove derelict vehicles from the streets of St. Thomas.
Speaking at the monthly meeting of the St. Thomas Parish Council held on Thursday (Dec. 11) Public Cleansing Manager for the parish, Danny Barrett, said that the NSWMA has made a request for councillors to submit a list of abandoned vehicles in their divisions. He informed that only one report has come in and the NSWMA is awaiting responses from the other councillors to begin the removal programme. He said that three trucks will be deployed to the parish to assist with the process.
Meanwhile, Mr. Barrett told the meeting that the NSWMA recently assisted with clean-up activities at the Rudolph Elder Park in Morant Bay and at the Duhaney Pen and Lyssons beaches. The projects were organized by the St. Thomas Environmental Protection Agency.
The NSWMA has also placed 50 garbage receptacles at various locations in the parish to reduce illegal dumping and to facilitate garbage collection. In addition, he informed, the agency will be placing no-dumping signs at various locations in the parish. This project will begin early next year.
Mr. Barrett told the meeting that a team of casual workers is involved in a clean- up exercise in Morant Bay and its environs and so far, work has been completed in Duckenfield, Orange Walk, Golden Grove, Stokes Hall, Pleasant Hill, Winchester and at the Morant Bay round-a-bout.
“I have made recommendations for a second team to be assigned to do western St. Thomas areas and we are looking forward for the approval to implement such,” he stated.
In the meantime, Mr. Barrett said that garbage collectors have been finding a lot of commercial waste, especially in the Morant Bay and Yallahs areas, and the new thrust of the NWSMA is collect the waste at a cost to the offending business/enterprise.
“In moving forward, we are asking councillors if they identify any breaches of the Solid Waste Act by businesses operating in their division, to bring it to our attention so that we can take the necessary action,” he appealed.