THE Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) has expressed outrage at what it calls the continuing lack of oversight and management at the Riverton City dump, “a situation that has persisted for decades”.

JET says despite short bursts of attention over the years and millions of dollars spent, the dump remains an environmental, human rights and public health catastrophe.

“Currently, in the face of yet another massive fire, everyone in Kingston is threatened by the smoke,” JET says in a news release.

“The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) has utterly failed in its mandate, as have the regulatory bodies with responsibility for the environment and public health.”

JET says when Riverton burns, all manner of toxic substances are burned — plastic, car tyres, car batteries, fluorescent bulbs (containing mercury), old computers, industrial, commercial, animal and chemical waste, with serious implications for respiratory health.

“Over the years, JET has received many complaints from residents in Portmore, Red Hills, Hellshire and other surrounding areas, most of whom claim that fires have caused or aggravated illnesses. There is virtually no control over what is taken to Riverton,” JET says.

“Dozens of Jamaicans, including children, pick through this waste on a daily basis without any form of protective clothing or equipment. Animals and disease vectors (like rats) freely roam the dump. It is largely unfenced and uncontrolled.”

JET says the dump is also adjacent to rivers and the sea, and there is no obstacle to run off into these water bodies, which people also use for bathing, washing and probably drinking.

“The water quality of the Duhaney River is questionable to say the least — JET is not aware when last it was tested and what the results revealed,” the environment group says.

It says Government housing schemes have been built in close proximity to the dump, where people cook and live.

“Fires may very well be spontaneous, but this is due to poor management — failure to capture landfill gases, insufficient sorting of waste and lack of daily cover — all basic landfill management measures,” JET says.

“The situation at Riverton is a public health emergency. JET calls on the Medical Association of Jamaica to speak out on the effects of this disaster on the respiratory health of human beings, especially children. In view of the seriousness of the situation, JET recommends the immediate closure of the dump and the relocation and support of those who live and work in close proximity.”