Vincentians, keep SVG clean!

Tue, Apr 17. 2012

Editor: I live in Penniston Estates above the Hope Methodist church. There are 14 properties in this area, 15 if you include the Church. I am informed that only one property has solid waste pick-up.{{more}}

For many years there was a garbage receptacle near to the bridge over the Buccament River, opposite JoJo’s bar and another one outside the Vermont Police Station that we all used to dispose of our solid waste. While this was not a perfect solution it was adequate most of the time.

First of all, the receptacle in front of the Police Station was removed and then a few months ago, the receptacle near the bridge was removed; the bottom had rotted away.

Many calls to the Solid Waste Division of CWSA have now revealed that these receptacles are not going to be replaced. Solid Waste Management suggests that we store our waste and bring it down to the bridge on Monday mornings. How short-sighted can you get? First of all, the pick-up is usually early in the morning, so that if one is late the bags will sit there for an entire week without any protection from dogs or other wild animals. If one leaves the bags on Sunday night, the same thing will happen overnight.

The solution is easy; give us back our garbage receptacles!!!! Since we are being charged a fee for solid waste pick-up it is only right that we are given the service that we pay for.

Surely it is Solid Waste Management’s responsibility to keep St Vincent clean and to that end I have seen advertisements from Solid Waste Management trying to educate people not

to dispose of waste all over the place. Surely that should mean more garbage receptacles, not fewer.

Already garbage bags have been left outside the Hope Methodist Church. We also do not wish to have this eyesore where visitors to our island would see it. The bridge across the Buccament River is on the route to one of our major natural attractions – The Vermont Nature Trail.

While I am on this subject, I have been advised that there is a great deal of garbage floating in the ocean outside the ‘Bat Cave’. Does this come directly from boats or from local people charging boat people to ‘dispose’ of their garbage?

Chris Dotterill