MONTEGO BAY, St James — After receiving countless reports of illegal dump sites, Western Parks and Market (WPM) Waste Management Limited recently partnered with other government agencies and headed to the streets of downtown Montego Bay in a bid to sensitise commercial entities on proper garbage disposal.

This partnership, which also saw representatives from the St James Municipal Corporation (SJMC) and St James Public Health Services visiting 36 entities in search of breaches of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) Act (2001), “is the first of a few enforcement exercises” said Acting Regional Operations Manager Dramaine Jones.

Speaking to the representatives before commencing the enforcement exercise on Friday, Jones noted that while the solid waste team cannot afford a “perfect operation” to reduce the prevalence of illegal dump sites in the second city, they are prepared to ramp up their efforts.

“I want us to look at this operation as a first of a few to come and something to lead us into the new year. We have gotten reports of illegal dumping… The perfect operation is not one which we can afford or develop just yet, however, this is an effort to ensure that we build partnerships as well as start looking at enforcement in some of these areas which are considered to be somewhat of an issue,” Jones said in his address.

“I know we will be looking at where some of these areas are being [used as] dumps, who is the possible perpetrator for the dumps and how best to correct it,” he added.

The acting regional operations manager expressed confidence in WPM’s partnership with the various agencies.

“I know that we have a very knowledgeable team [and] I am happy that this partnership has come to fruition. We have to build this partnership for a better Montego Bay and essentially, a better Jamaica,” he said.

SJMC’s Enforcement and Compliance Manager Mario Chin welcomed WPM’s initiative. Chin noted that this enforcement activity, if done effectively, will see the residents of Montego Bay reaping great rewards.

“We are glad for the support so we can carry out our function as well as see any breaches that are there and can probably correct them from now,” he said.

“We are here to collaborate with everybody because if we can get this thing going on a regular basis, that would also be great for the citizens of Montego Bay,” Chin added.

Representatives from all three agencies were deployed across nine streets where they visited 36 commercial entities, including food establishments, supermarkets and haberdasheries. Of the entities visited last Friday, 10 were found to be in breach of the NSWMA Act so appropriate notices were served. These entities will be revisited in short order to ensure they are in compliance, WPM’s customer relations officer, Sharnon Williams, said after the enforcement activity.

Illegal dump sites in and around the parish of St James have been a sore topic of discussion at the SJMC’s regular corporation meetings for several months now. At this month’s meeting several councillors lashed out at the solid waste team for what they described as extremely poor garbage collection methods.

Councillor Kerry Thomas (Mount Salem Division, PNP), who expressed concern on behalf of Tucker residents, pointed out that illegal dump sites are sometimes a result of irregularities in WPM’s garbage collection.

“We call them illegal dump sites but they are the standard location where garbage is disposed of — and this has been happening for the last five years,” Thomas charged.

It was Government senator and Councillor Charles Sinclair (Montego Bay North East Division, JLP) who encouraged WPM to come up with solutions ahead of the next meeting. According to Sinclair, some of the problems have persisted for two decades.

He suggested that WPM may need to engage and coordinate with other agencies, such as public health, to address the issues.

But JLP Councillor Dwight Crawford (Spring Garden Division) insisted that WPM should lay the blame for these illegal dump sites at the feet of the perpetrators.

“We need to take action against the nasty people. We need to nail them to the cross,” he said.

Crawford added, “Commercial waste from business places is being dumped illegally and now we have to go and clean up behind them. We need, through the constabulary force, to take action against them. We need to make it known to them that when you dump in the [wrong] place you will be crucified.”