Cleaning House: Whose Responsibility?

Under normal circumstances, government is responsible for providing waste removal and disposal services. Trash disappears into those large green containers with dependable regularity and none of us has to think of it ever again…

Then along came Ivan—and regular operations couldn’t even begin to cope with the unprecedented amount of debris left in its wake.

Recognizing the enormous scope of the essential cleanup, the Cayman Islands Recovery Operation (CIRO) contracted MC Restoration to assist residents by carting away and processing hurricane waste free-of-charge to the public.

“CIRO undertook to remove all hurricane debris from public roads, right-of-ways, public areas, and private residences,” said CIRO Operations Manager Mark Scotland. Since early November, operators have been in and out of neighbourhoods, hauling away hundreds of truckloads. But with this effort now in its final stages, yet with debris still seemingly in endless supply, the question is being asked: Who will be responsible for the cleanup once MC Restoration has gone?

Under the Public Health Law, “the accumulation of any garbage or refuse in or on any premises” is prohibited and responsibility for removal of such garbage falls to the owner of the property. Where repairs or construction is ongoing, the law stipulates that the contractor is responsible for removing all construction waste material.

Failure to conform with the law (enforced by the Department of Environmental Health), may result in legal action—and not only because debris piles are unsightly: “Uncollected heaps are health hazards because they are potential breeding grounds for rodents and other pests, and uncollected debris can also turn into flying missiles should we have another hurricane,” said Environmental Health Officer for George Town Garfield Ellison.

Accordingly, the department will be stepping up enforcement of the Public Health Law once the current cleanup effort stops. However, residents are assured that the DEH will visit each site and notify the owner of his or her responsibility to remove rubbish, prior to taking any legal action.

Meanwhile, Mr. Scotland urges the public not to wait for the department to do the cleaning: “The overall objective is to cleanup the island. The first stage was to clear the roads; we than focused on removing debris from public areas and we are now in the third stage of cleanup—the construction phase. But in this phase it is vital that the community takes responsibility,” he said. “We are asking residents to continue efforts to beautify their homes and neighborhoods by securing loose items and properly disposing of litter.”

Mr. Scotland encouraged residents to use this weekend to rid themselves of accumulated debris by placing it on the roadside for easy collection. But they must contact him to arrange pickup (call 916-2625). He also advised the public to examine contractor agreements to ensure they include a removal service, and reminded owners of vacant lots or commercial establishments, condominium or apartment strata, that they are responsible for the removal of their own debris.

“Anyone can use the temporary MC Restoration dumping sites when hauling debris. That way all waste will be processed instead of accumulating at the landfill,” he concluded.

MC Restoration is expected to wrap up the waste removal aspect of their contract by the second week of March, extending the deadline to enable them to satisfy the 300,000 cubic yard target. The processing of debris will continue until dumping sites have been fully restored to their original condition.