Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter
Errol Greene, head of the National Solid Waste Management Authority, argues with Gassan Azan, proprietor of Bashco, on Orange Street, about an NSWMA operation targeting business operators for improper waste disposal in the downtown Kingston business district yesterday evening. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
A STEALTH operation carried out by the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), in collaboration with the Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF), in the downtown Kingston business district, has angered several proprietors who were prosecuted.
In addition, one person has been left nursing a wound, while at least four persons were arrested and 12 summonses served.
The enforcement mission was geared towards prosecuting business operators who disposed of their garbage in breach of the National Solid Waste Management Act.
Errol Greene, NSWMA boss, told The Gleaner last night that except for a late start, the operation was a smashing success.
"Tremendous success. From the moment we prosecute more than one it is a tremendous success," he said.
"We will be using a zero-tolerance approach; we will be moving up to Cross Roads and to Papine within the next two weeks then we will be going to Spanish Town, Old Harbour, May Pen and all the town centres of Jamaica until merchants understand that they must make arrangements to dispose of their solid waste properly and not impose on the hardworking tax payers of this country," said Greene.
"We don't care who they make the arrangements with, but the arrangements must be made for the removal of their solid waste," Mr. Greene added. He pointed out that the law
dictated that in addition to making proper arrangements for their solid waste to be collected, proprietors must contain and store it properly until it is collected.
POLICE-CROWD FACE-OFF
Yesterday, the operation almost turned ugly, when officers arrested a security guard at a Princess Street premises. After officers were ordered to disperse the crowd with their batons, they also proceeded to pepper-spray the crowd which was heckling them.
The security guard alleged that one of the officers slapped him in the face several times and threatened him with a gun.
Members of the business community were livid, with one merchant arguing that garbage trucks did not come on time, adding that she was paying a private company approximately $50,000 per month to remove waste from four stores.
