Rats, rubble and a race against time

A community cleanup effort in Strathbogie Lane, Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, is racing against time to remove piles of bulky waste that residents and health officials say have contributed to a growing rat problem, with approximately $92,000 needed to adequately complete the project.

The initiative was led by Public Health Inspector Intern Jonathan McLean as part of his internship with the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA), which ended last Friday.

McLean said the amount of waste uncovered during the project was much greater than initially expected, leaving the community short of the resources needed to finish the job.

“Some things were donated, but we needed more. Based on inspections, observations, and also what the residents told me, the inspector, is that it exceeded what actually came out of the implementation,” McLean said.

“What we bargained for, what we budgeted for, was way under. So, basically, we underestimated it.”

Eight truckloads of bulky waste have already been removed, but McLean estimated that another four to five truckloads are needed to clear the remainder. The waste includes old refrigerators, stoves, washing machines, mattresses, zinc and other discarded household items, much of which resulted from the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

Meanwhile, resident and community committee member Deneise Cameron said the response from residents when the cleanup began was overwhelming.

“The project was initiated last Friday where citizens were instructed by Mr McLean, assisted by us as health committee members, we are all volunteers, to bring their bulky waste out to the roadways, not to block the roads, but on the sides so that in arrangement or in collaboration with NSWMA, the garbage trucks could come and do the pickup,” Cameron said.

“Truth be told, the response was overwhelming. It was more than we expected.”

Cameron said the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) has returned several times since the initial collection, but some of the heaviest items remain.

“What is left really spans the middle section of the community stretch and that section has the heavier items like the fridge, the stove, the washing machine, those bigger pieces that the staff is unable to really lift and pack on the trucks,” she said.

The community is now trying to raise money to hire a privately owned backhoe, which Cameron said is crucial to completing the cleanup.

“The backhoe serves a great purpose, because ... based on how it operates, it’s able to just crush the big items, lift them, and put them into the truck, and it can take up multiple items at once, as opposed to the hands of the staff doing it,” she said.

FUNDS NOT ENOUGH

Cameron said residents have launched fundraising efforts, including approaching businesses and individuals for donations and holding a sale featuring popcorn, snow cones, muffins and cookies.

However, she said the money raised so far is not enough.

“Although we made some monies from that, it’s not even half of what we need to pay the backhoe,” she said.

McLean, however, expressed gratitude to the businesses and individuals who supported the cleanup effort. He said Gray’s Pepper Limited and Grace Food Processors Limited donated about 30 garbage drums to help mitigate garbage-disposal issues, while other supermarkets, wholesalers and meat shops provided financial assistance to support the project so far.

Additionally, according to Cameron, the backhoe needed to complete the work typically costs between $60,000 and $80,000 for a day.

“Right now we need assistance,” she said. “Our aim is to remove the remaining waste latest the end of August because we would not want September to come, the reopening of school, and the waste is still not yet removed.”

McLean said the bulky waste is more than an eyesore. It has the potential to collect rainwater and create mosquito-breeding sites, while the piles can provide shelter for rodents and other pests.

Cameron added that residents have already seen evidence of a rat problem.

“Repeatedly, the community was baited. That’s how they describe it from the health department. They would set baits for the rats in the areas where the inspector would have observed these bulky wastes being stored,” she said.

“And for every time they bait the area, the baits were actually consumed. So those are evidences that yes, for real, we have been greatly impacted by rat infestation.”

Although McLean’s internship has ended, he said his responsibility to the community has not.

“My responsibilities as a Public Health Inspector will not end with the internship,” he said.

“The goal is to see the initiative through and ensure that the community is left in a better condition than how we found it.”

Anyone willing to help the community clear the remaining waste can reach out to PHI Intern Jonathan McLean at (876) 250-2416 or email jonathanmclean32@gmail.com.

The community is appealing for financial assistance or the use of a backhoe to help remove the remaining bulky items.

mickalia.kington@gleanerjm.com