Georgetown: The Mayor and City Council’s (M&CC) Solid Waste Department (SWD) has proposed urgent considerations on licensing all private waste removers operating in the city. The department is targeting specifically small operators; in an industry where some have been found to be culprits of illegal dumping.
The Council is aware that “junkies” and other private persons are sometimes hired by citizens to dump waste material of all sorts. These materials never make it to a legal dumping ground sometimes, and are distributed across the city on empty lots, at roadsides, street corners and even in waterways.
SWD Director Walter Narine suggests therefore, that, “only licensed waste carriers should be authorized to transport refuse in the city.” He said that while this inclusion to the By-laws will significantly aid in revenue generation, “most importantly, it will bring about some order in this arm of waste management.”
“All push cart, horse driven cart operators among other waste carriers will be transporting waste illegally without a license and the fines should be significant if they are caught doing so.” Narine urged the new Council to earnestly work toward better waste management policies and to discuss this proposal and others he had proposed during their orientation sessions a week ago.
The suggestion of licensed waste movers comes at a time when the Council made public the need to consider billing commercial waste producers for garbage collection. They said the city is bearing a million dollar bill weekly.
When the Council could not provide adequate waste collection services around the city, pockets of garbage dumps also popped up. It was noticed that many operators, including junkies were used to transport waste. Hoping to permanently close this unorthodox avenue, the Council is seeking to regulate this small industry.
Suggestions within the Municipality is the inclusion of community service along with fines for solid waste management offenders.
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