WESTERN BUREAU:
THE NATIONAL Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) has denied that it is to be blamed for loads of garbage piling up at the Charles Gordon Market in Montego Bay.
On Sunday, Mayor of Montego Bay Noel Donaldson accused the agency of not honouring a contract it has with the St. James Parish Council to collect waste at the market.
He said under contractual arrangements with the agency, the parish council provides a front-end loader to load garbage unto trucks provided by NSWMA, for disposal.
However in a release on Monday Alston Stewart, executive director of NSWMA, said that it was the St. James Parish Council that had failed to honour its contractual obligations.
According to Mr. Stewart, the cleaning and collection of garbage in markets are solely the responsibility of the respective Parish Councils unless there is a contractual arrangement with NSWMA.
He said such contracts require that the council in question provide the necessary equipment and personnel for the cleaning of the market and removal of garbage to designated areas on various dates and time specified by NSWMA.
He further stated that the parish council is to provide the necessary equipment and or personnel for loading of the trucks.
Waste is collected from the Charles Gordon Market four times weekly as per contractual arrangements with the St. James Parish Council, said the waste authority head, and that it was the St. James Council's responsibility to clean the market and place the waste at Market Circle and Lower Bevin Avenue by 11:00 p.m. on nights prior to collection.
Mr. Stewart said that last Sunday crews from NSWMA arrived as scheduled to do the pick up.
"On this instance, and as is the situation most of the times, solid waste was not put out for collection as the Council's equipment is continually out of service," he noted. He also said that the council has provided a backhoe for loading the trucks despite numerous advisories that they were ineffective as they damage NSWMA trucks.
He adds that when Mr. Donaldson was contacted he requested that the NSWMA hire two tipper trucks to collect the garbage but because of the late notice the trucks did not arrive on time.
Mr. Stewart noted that last Sunday was not the first time the Council has failed to provide the proper equipment to clean the garbage from the market.
"As a result, at numerous times the NSWMA has had to hire equipment at its own expense to remove waste from the market in the interest of public health," he said.
"These costs have not been repaid by the Parish Council which, to date, is indebted to the NSWMA for an amount of $2.8 million."
