Dear Editor,
I would like to comment on the unhealthy state of affairs as it relates to solid waste management in the town of New Amsterdam. The current solid waste dump site which is in the northern end of the town next to the Forbes Burnham Playground can now be considered an environmental disaster of colossal proportions. It is now filled with mountains of refuse standing over six feet in height.
The heavy rainfall has resulted in a large patch of swamp water which has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The stench emanating from this location along with the large volume of flies creates lots of discomfort for citizens traversing this area. It is also a national travesty that a play park named after a former president of this country is surrounded by mountains of trash and suffering from infrastructural neglect.
I urge the Local Government Minister, the Minister of Public Health and senior personnel from the EPA to visit this site and experience the modern-day squalor that has become part of the landscape of the town. I would suggest that the above-mentioned state and regulatory agencies meet urgently with the Region 6 RDC and the Municipal Council and identify a new site after which the construction of a modern landfill facility will commence. The EPA will be the lead agency in providing the technical specification that matches international best practice for such facilities. I plead with the relevant stakeholders to act quickly and avert a potential health crisis in the town of New Amsterdam.
Yours faithfully,
Michael Baird Jr.
