THE Enforcement and Compliance Unit of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), in efforts to discourage flagrant violation of the NSWM Act, conducted 166 surveillances across the island during the 2018-2019 fiscal year.

In addition, the unit issued 8,130 removal notices and 1,619 fixed penalty anti-litter tickets to enforce the NSWM Act.

This is contained in the NSWMA Annual Report (2018-2019), which was tabled in the House of Representatives recently.

The report noted that enforcement activities were bolstered by the acquisition of two Toyota Hilux pickup trucks in the last quarter of the reporting financial year.

“The trucks were donated by the Tourism Enhancement Fund to increase the mobility of the enforcement teams, to further aid the authority in its bid to enforce the NSWM Act,” the document said.

It said one unit each was placed at the WPM Waste Management Limited to serve the four parishes of Westmoreland, Hanover, St James and Trelawny, and the other at NEPM Waste Management Limited to serve the parishes of St Ann, St. Mary and Portland.

Meanwhile, enforcement functions will be further strengthened with the promulgation of the NSWMA public cleansing regulations.

The report said the regulations, once enacted, will address the loopholes that exist in the current Public Cleanliness Regulations, which will be repealed once the revised regulations are gazetted.

“Along with the Disposal of Solid Waste Regulations, specific standards will be imposed on the generators of solid waste, domestic and commercial alike, to ensure that waste is stored, transported and disposed of in an environmentally sound manner to safeguard public health,” the document said.