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EPA threatens City Hall with legal action over solid waste mismanagement
By Zena Henry
The country’s environmental overseer has threatened the City Municipality with legal action
City Hall
for what it says is the mismanagement of solid waste at major city markets.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Wednesday, issued a warning to the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) stating that they will face legal penalties for at least six environmental inefficiencies occurring at the market.
The letter which was written to the Council’s Town Clerk, Carol Sooba, stated that the EPA through its Litter Enforcement Unit has been investigating the “indiscriminate dumping, and inadequate collection and disposal of solid and other Waste at the Stabroek Market, Bourda Market, and in the vicinity of Merriman’s Mall, Orange Walk and North Road; and East La Penitence Market.”
The Agency said its most recent investigations, which were conducted on November 17 and 18 at Bourda and Stabroek Markets, revealed that the locations were littered with large amounts of organic waste, and were unsightly, and pose serious detriment to the amenities of the surrounding public space and neighbourhood.
EPA claimed that there were no working and/or adequate infrastructure such as bins and working compactors to allow vendors to dispose of their waste.
The EPA stated further that because of the deficiency in waste management, heavy malodour was emanating from these locations indicating unsanitary conditions, while garbage was seen nearby waterways and drains. EPA continued that Bourda market’s interior seemed not to be cleaned for some time, while human excrement was seen in various locations in the market. The Council’s current management system, the agency said, results in irregular garbage collection, poor storage, inadequate disposal, and lack of regular cleaning of markets, internally and externally.
Under the EPA Act of 1996, the agency has the right to serve on the Council a prohibition notice, where it appears that the person responsible for a particular area poses a threat to the natural resources or the environment or risk of serious pollution or damage to public health.
“The Agency is therefore issuing a Prohibition Notice with immediate effect, ordering the Mayor and City Council to desist from causing, advertently or inadvertently, the continued inadequate management of the solid waste (irregular collection, poor storage, inappropriate disposal of garbage, and lack of regular cleaning of the markets, internally and externally) at the Stabroek, Bourda and East La Penitence Markets.”
“Failure to comply with this order and its terms and conditions within seven days of receipt of this notice will result in legal action being taken against the Council by the Agency.”
EPA says it will be monitoring the various locations to verify compliance with this notice.
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