Waste management needs a radical shift, says MoBay mayor

WESTERN BUREAU:

Following recent complaints from residents over the lengthy delays in garbage collection in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon, who is also chairman of the St James Municipal Corporation (StJMC), says there must be a change to waste management in the parish.

Vernon was speaking at Thursday’s monthly meeting of the StJMC, where several councillors took the National Solid Waste Management Authority’s (NSWMA) Western Parks and Markets Waste Management Limited (WPM) to task, saying their poor performance in waste collection has led to massive garbage pileups and rat infestation in some areas.

“This municipality produces approximately 600,000 to one million pounds of garbage daily, which will need upwards of 50 trips per day to cover the space, and the units that we have are doing two trips,” said Vernon. “Ten units undertake two trips per day, and we are not even doing half of what is required.

“It is a tough situation, but waste management needs a radical shift, and I have been saying it among my colleagues and in other places that perhaps garbage collection needs to be privatised.”

Continued Vernon, “WPM and NSWMA could focus on composting, waste separation, recycling, sweeping, and cleansing the space, and allow the tenders to go out and other persons take on the different sections, because we need at least 50 trucks in St James alone.”

NOT A DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY

Referencing a December 9 Gleaner story, in which some residents were quoted as being concerned about the unavailability of garbage trucks to collect their post-hurricane waste, Vernon said that citizens are looking to the StJMC for relief, despite the issue not being the direct responsibility of his office.

“This week, I saw an article in The Gleaner which says, ‘St James residents still worried about limited garbage collection’… . They are expecting an answer, a reaction, solutions, from the office of the mayor, and it is unfair, and I will tell you that we have had to deal with hundreds of calls, messages, emails, and even petitions for things we are not responsible for directly,” said Vernon.

Vernon’s comments followed a report from Mark Jones, the WPM’s public cleansing manager, who outlined the challenges that his agency is facing in providing cleanup services for St James following the passage of Hurricane Melissa on October 28.

“The setback caused by Hurricane Melissa significantly compromised waste collection operations across the parish. There has been a significant increase in waste generation following the hurricane, including vegetative debris, damaged household items, and construction debris, and some communities remain inaccessible due to blocked roadways caused by breakaways, fallen trees, low hanging wires, and fallen utility poles,” said Jones, who listed Glendevon, Lilliput, John’s Hall, Over River, Lottery, and Sunderland as the most affected areas.

“Increased dumping of non-compactible waste has been observed along major thoroughfares and within town centres. Continued dumping of hurricane debris in areas that were previously cleaned has resulted in recurring cleanup requirements, and that is a major challenge,” stated Jones.

During the meeting, it was also disclosed that $34 million has been allocated to the StJMC to boost restoration activities across St James following Hurricane Melissa’s passage, with the funds to be distributed across the municipality’s 17 divisions.

christopher.thomas@gleanerjm.com