LUCEA, Hanover — A heated debate over garbage collection in the community of Second Brissett, otherwise known as Hoist Brissett in Lucea, erupted during last Thursday’s meeting of the Hanover Municipal Corporation.

The issue initially stemmed from the demolition of a garbage receptacle at the entrance to the community by Western Parks and Markets (WPM) Waste Management Limited, the regional arm of National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA).

Similar problems are also being reported in Bull’s Bay where a receptacle was demolished by a landowner, leaving residents with nowhere to properly dispose of their waste.

During the heated argument, which also took on a political tone, the corporation moved and approved a resolution for the reconstruction of two skips for the two communities.

“We have to go back to something for Hoist Brissett. It is for us to build another skip because I am going to ask for a motion for us to build two skips. if you are in agreement with it,” Lucea Mayor Sheridan Samuels (People’s National Party, Cauldwell Division) said, directing his comment to NSWMA Public Cleansing Inspector Rosemarie Erskine.

“If not, you take the entire team and go out there go tell those people on that side that we are not responsible for the garbage that has piled up there, because we don’t collect garbage. There is an agency that is responsible, and that is NSWMA,” he added before the motion was supposed and approved by all six councillors present.

His “those people on that side” reference was to supporters of the Jamaica Labour Party.

Councillor Brian Chambers (PNP, Lucea Division) gave a chronicle of how the issue started and the ensuing chain reaction.

“I went ahead and got drums — about 50 drums for the community — put the drums in the community so persons would put the garbage in the drums. It was working fine until the truck was becoming irregular,” stated Chambers.

“So then, it started to become a problem. We had persons who were saying that they had the drums at their gates, the rubbish was getting too high, overflowing from the drums, stinking up the community. So what the persons in the community did was, they removed every single drum that they could find,” Councillor Chambers said.

He alleged that the action was driven by partisan politics because it was said that the people who agreed to get the drums and remove the skip were members of the PNP.

“As such, the Jamaica Labour Party members of the community removed the drums and started dumping up here,” Chambers alleged. “I don’t know what we will do to fix the situation because we can’t do the same thing again.”

Chambers recalled saying that it would have been better to build a bigger receptacle rather than to demolish what was there when the issue came up last year May.

“But, somebody from NSWMA went to the community and told them that the councillor was the one who was fighting against it,” he said.

However, Mayor Samuels said this was incorrect. He pointed to an article published by the Jamaica Observer in May last year which stated that councillors were opposed to the move by the NSWMA to demolish the receptacle.

Claiming that there are other issues at play, including improper disposal of garbage from people outside of community, the NSWMA’s Erskine questioned if replacing the skip in the area will bring the desired solution that the corporation is seeking.

“The same challenge that we are having now, we will have it again if we proceed the way you are thinking,” stated Erskine, who noted that the NSWMA is trying its best with Second Brissett.

“In fact, now I am forced to clean it twice. I clean the illegal dump site twice a week, that’s what I am doing now. If you are going to maintain that clean[ing schedule], you are going to have to clean it every day,” stated Erskine.

“So, there are a number of things that must be taken into consideration but my whole suggestion is that we have conversations in these communities,” added Erskine.

Mayor Samuels concluded by pointing out that the corporation will not be relying on the NSWMA to have the issue resolved.

“We are not going to wait on you to fix anything — we are going to fix it. You see, the set that is going against your plan is the majority. If our set was the majority around there… but they are green like grass around there and we can’t manage them, I am telling you as plain as that,” stated Mayor Samuels as the political blame game continued.