Publication: Daily Nation / Extra
Paper Section And Page: 21
Paper Date: Wed, Jun 23, 1999
By-Line: Terry Ally
ILLEGAL DUMPING in the gully between Halton and Edgecumbe Plantations continues
unabated. The latest load sent nearby residents scampering for a breath of fresh
air Saturday morning.
"We heard a tractor around 6:15 a.m., and
soon afterwards that stench returned, the same stench which made us sick in our
stomachs a few weeks ago," one resident said.
In addition, there were reports that another resident recently witnessed the
disposal of chicken parts from a small poultry farm in St. John and reported the
matter to the health authorities, citing the registration number of the vehicle.
The cart roads leading to the gully are blocked
by boulders, but the trucks are finding alternate routes onto both plantations
which border the deep gully. The gully has apparently been a regular but illegal
disposal site for garbage. However, it was just weeks ago that an awful stench
arose which brought attention to the situation. The stench was so bad that
nearby residents said it forced them from their homes for most of the day.
While they returned during the night to sleep, many reported waking up feeling
nauseous.
During investigations last week, health inspectors discovered that the gully was not only a haunt for municipal garbage, but dead animals and at least 25 dead sheep have been disposed there so far this year. One trucker, when asked why he disposed of garbage there, said that "there was no sign" saying he could not dump garbage there. He added that the closure of the Mangrove landfill on Sundays also left no legal alternative to dumping.