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Solid, Liquid & Hazardous Waste
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 What is the general situation
with these ISSUES?
- There is a need for regulations and national standards to control
the methods by which medical waste is separated, stored, transported,
treated and disposed of.
- Individuals and waste disposal collection companies are not
accustomed to paying for disposal of garbage. This attitude will
make it difficult to meet operating costs associated with sanitary
landfills, and continues to contribute to illegal dumping in gullies,
vacant land, and the sea.
- Many existing and former dumpsites were sited in inappropriate
locations, posing long-term environmental problems. Future landfill
sites will be required to have a permit from the NRCA and will
have to go through an EIA review process, which includes public
participation.
- Hazardous waste include polychlorinated biphenyl’s (PCB’s) asbestos,
waste oils, lead and perchloroethylene (Perc), among others. These
come from electrical transformers, batteries, dry cleaners, etc.
The toxicity of some of these substances presents distinctive
problems as there is no designated hazardous waste disposal facility
in Jamaica.
- The amounts and kinds of household hazardous wastes (paints,
cleaners, gardening chemicals, etc.) are expected to increase
as Jamaicans follow consumer preferences of industrialized countries,
especially the United States.
- From both environmental and health perspectives, burning is
the worst method of garbage disposal. Composting and using it
to build soil is an excellent method for the large organic part
of the waste stream.
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