The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has raised concerns about the disposal of raw septic waste into the ocean in Region Two.
Head of Industry and Manufacturing Odessa Duncan said that the EPA is addressing several concerns in the region and is making recommendations to relevant authorities.
Duncan was at the time speaking to councillors and Regional Democratic Council (RDC) officials of Region Two at a meeting held recently in the boardroom of the RDC’s offices. She said that the disposal of raw septic waste in the region should be addressed as it can be hazardous to those who come in contact with it. Duncan added that the issue is not confined to Region Two but encompasses many other regions and the EPA is making recommendations to address the problem.
During a PowerPoint presentation, the EPA official suggested that the Region consider septic sludge disposal. She noted that currently the waste is passing through the communities and being dumped in the river with no system in place to pump it further out into the ocean. The area used for the dumping has communities around and if the waste does not get to the ocean it can return to land.
Duncan therefore called on the regional authorities to construct an infrastructure pipeline to control the disposal of septic sludge and allow it to be pumped into the ocean. Recommendations were also made for other potential sites to be identified for septic sludge disposal preferably away from communities and directly into the ocean.
Calls were also made for the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) to implement the GNBS code of practice for the design and construction of septic tanks while cautioning that the plastic tanks currently offered for sale were not suitable and therefore should not be used. She explained that if the septic tank is built to GNBS code specifications then the waste will be treated which will in turn eliminate the need for regular dumping. Regional officials were also urged to ensure that they meet and discuss the way forward.
Attendees at the meeting included Regional Chairperson, Vilma De Silva, and Regional Executive Officer Susannah Saywack.
The team from the EPA included Deputy Executive Director, Sharifah Razack; Head of Complaints and Emergency Response, Surjpaul Singh; Acting Head of Agriculture, Junior Toney; Legal Officer, Shareefah Parks; and Senior Environmental Officer Communications, Jomo Tobin. They were in the region conducting an outreach and addressing concerns.
