LOCAL GOVERNMENT MINISTER COMMISSIONS FIRST-EVER WASTE TRANSFER FACILITY IN JAMAICA…
GEORGES PLAIN IN WESTMORELAND UNVEILED AS THE FIRST LOCATION, WILL ENSURE VASTLY IMPROVED GARBAGE COLLECTION IN WESTMORELAND AND HANOVER
Two decades ago, the idea of a transfer station for solid waste was conceptualized to optimize garbage collection in Western Jamaica. Last Friday, those plans materialized with the opening of the National Solid Waste Management Authority’s (NSWMA) Temporary Holding Facility in George’s Plain, Westmoreland.
The $29-million investment, which will primarily serve Westmoreland and a section of Hanover further signals the Government’s thrust to enhance garbage collection efficiency in these parishes especially in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.
While speaking at the ceremony on Friday, Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie emphasized the significance of the Holding Area in clearing the backlog of garbage in the parish.
“What this location means for Westmoreland, is that it is going to significantly reduce the number of hours that the trucks are missing” he said.
Previously, garbage collectors had to commute to the landfill in Retirement St. James after each collection in Westmoreland to offload waste and debris. With the implementation of the Holding Area, garbage will be temporarily stored at the George’s Plain site, allowing for more waste to be collected across the parish per day before moving to the Retirement Disposal Site.
“Hurricane Melissa did extensive damage to this country, some of what we experienced was because, our drains and our gullies were blocked…. even though the municipalities did cleaning. We need to develop a culture of civic pride in this country,” Minister McKenzie added, as he urged the public to play its part in curbing littering.
For his part, Mayor of Savanna-la-mar, Councillor Danree Delancy explained that the facility is a necessity, and cited the extensive build up of garbage in the parish.
“It is indeed an important project. It is indeed a very wanted or a very necessary project, we all know the situation with garbage collection and disposal in the parish. We all know that there are many challenges and these challenges they have ripple effects. Challenges relating to road conditions, challenges related to traffic congestion, challenges relating to the distance from Westmoreland to the disposal site in Retirement in St James. And this facility, I am sure will go a very far way in alleviating some of those challenges,” he said.
Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for Central Westmoreland, Dwayne Vaz said the facility will help to curtail illegal dumping and littering in Westmoreland.
“We are really hoping that when this holding station is up and running, that the level of illegal dumping with stop… we are really hoping that a combination of things will happen from this holding station being implemented here… that will of course increase the frequency of trucks coming into the various communities,” he added.
He also used the opportunity to call for interagency collaboration to assist with discouraging improper waste disposal.
“The fact is, when people are used to dumping at these illegal sites, it won’t change overnight. So I think we will have to collaborate with the JCF officers to see how best we can have some patrolling of some of those areas to discourage some persons from continuing to dump because what we have seen so far, even when the truck goes to those areas and removes the garbage, by tomorrow morning you pass, you see some more thrown there because people just wait on the opportunity to go and throw it,” he said.
The Temporary Holding Facility is the first of its kind in Jamaica, and is expected to be operated on a 24-hour basis to optimize its efficiency.