OVER the past several weeks there has been a significant level of chatter regarding the performance of the current administration. The responses have been very much on the positive side, bar the hardcore opposition supporters who showed signs of disagreement. Today, however, we were able to lay our hands on a particular photograph which speaks volumes. For years and years St. Lucia has been plagued over the garbage situation. How many St. Lucians are really aware of all the hidden and transparent costs of purchasing, creating and operating a landfill? How many of us are aware of the enormous costs to government and business houses who disburse thousands of dollars annually for removing garbage from their facilities to the government landfills?
How much valuable lands have we as a nation lost to abandoned landfills? Statistics tell us that any abandoned landfill must remain dormant for a minimum of 40 years after closure and more importantly ventilation pipes must be planted to get rid of the gases emanating from the garbage. So, let us calculate the millions of dollars lost in lands that were simply unable to be used. Examples are as follows, 1. The Choc Landfill, 2. The Cul De Sac Landfill, 3. The Vieux Fort landfill adjacent to the Stadium, 4. The Deglo Landfill not to mention smaller landfills all over the island. Placing a dollar value on the cost of those landfills is in the millions. The purchase and operation of garbage trucks over the years is also enormous.
Today the current administration in their wisdom and foresight for the nation have now embarked on a formula, that will save St. Lucia millions of dollars annually, but more importantly, we should witness a much cleaner environment based on the ongoing operations. Government has already purchased several mini incinerators which will be strategically placed over the whole island to reduce the vast amount of garbage transported on a daily basis to the various landfills. This new concept will cut down the cost of transportation by millions of dollars, but even more importantly the residual aspect of garbage can be utilized in several ways. Kudos again to the current administration, who remain focused in taking St. Lucia to a new level whenever the opportunity presents itself.