The Department of Environmental Health Services in conjunction with the Royal Bahamas Police Force is cracking down on those persons who insist on violating the environmental health regulations.
Beginning January 6, 2003, environmental and law enforcement officials will be conducting surveillance exercises in New Providence, in an attempt to minimize and or prevent the indiscriminate dumping of garbage and other waste materials, which results in the pollution and degradation of the environment.
The Department of Environmental Health is taking a new approach in its effort of tracking down those violators, officials said.
“It would be an exercise that will not be confined simply to normal working hours but will be carried out at nighttime when most of this activity is being conducted,” said Melony McKenzie, assistant director of Environmental Health Services. “The effort is that once persons are aware we are activity searching for them at night because we recognize that a lot of the dumping is done at night then they would try to go to the proper site, which is the Harrold Road disposal site.
“We have tried this exercise sometime back but it was not a sustained effort. This effort that we are initiating now is a sustained programme, which means that we are doing it as an ongoing programme.”
Health inspectors will target areas such as the South Beach, Prince Charles Drive, Hanna Road and Clifton Pier Road.
Officials remind that there are fines for “litter bugs.”
Persons found in violation of the Environmental Health Act could face a $1,000 fine or 9 moths in prison, or both.
In the case of a second or subsequent offence, the offender risks a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, or to both such fine or imprisonment.
Where the offence continues, the offender is liable to a further fine not exceeding $500 for each day that such offence continues after the day of conviction, and in default of payment to imprisonment for a period not exceeding 6 months.
The Environmental Court meets on Fridays. Cases coming before it range from unsanitary conditions of homes and business places, roadside garages, derelict vehicles on the side of streets, conditions of private properties, malfunctioning septic tanks, and the lack of running water in residences.
One violator was recently arrested for sewage dumping in the southern area of New Providence.
According to Ms. McKenzie, the person was fined some $3,000.
“It is that kind of activity that we really want to discourage and we are hoping that this exercise does jut that,” she said.
“We would want it as a matter of choice for people to co-operate. But there are times when people do not co-operate until we go into the process of serving a Public Health Order and then serving a summons afterwards for legal action against them in the Environmental Court,” Ms. McKenzie said.
By Yvette Rolle-Major, The Bahama Journal
