How to regulate landfills

The Editor, Sir:

Please allow me space to comment on the Riverton landfill. A landfill should be declared as nothing but a landfill because of the nature of the solid wastes that are collected daily. I am not an environmental expert, but where are the Jamaican experts?

My layman's knowledge tells me that landfills can be a regulated, private and competitive business, starting from a depth to a specified height.

After lands are identified, (just like the bauxite industry) the environment expert and the necessary government agencies should do their homework before granting licences for operators to use.

Owners must take responsibility

The next move is for the owners to secure and maintain the property before excavating the prescribed filling area (by all means necessary) to a certain depth and stockpiling the dirt for topping off the garbage daily. After this is done, domestic, commercial, metallic and recyclable wastes can be received for a fee.

At the end of the day, the garbage must be topped off with specified inches of dirt. Because the landfill is secured, there will be no room for human scavengers.

It will be up to the owners to enforce maximum safety at the place, and regulate who and what enters the landfill.

I am, etc.,

GERALD STEWART

geraldstewart@bellsouth.net

Snellville, Georgia