The public is being advised by the Department of Environmental Health (DEH) not to litter or to illegally of dispose waste on Government property (or other lands).

Recently, DEH Environmental Health Officers and a team from the solid waste section had to deal with the ongoing littering and illegal dumping of waste at various Crown properties throughout the island, especially in West Bay and George Town.

Officials are reminding the public that under the Litter Law (1997 Revision); whoever throws down, drops or otherwise deposits and leaves any litter in, into or from a public place in such circumstances as to cause, contribute to or tend to lead to its defacement by such litter is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of five hundred dollars or to imprisonment for six months.

“Littering and illegal dumping of waste is unsightly, defaces property, encourages pests, creates nuisances, affects cleanliness, poses risk to public health, and shows a lack of civic pride in the community”, commented Roydell Carter, Director of Environmental Health. “Persons involved are strongly urged to immediately stop such practices and to take the waste to the George Town landfill for proper disposal”.

Residents should report incidents of littering or the illegal dumping of waste in their community to the Police or the DEH. “It’s vital that reliable information is reported to enable appropriate actions to tackle this serious problem. There is absolutely no need for littering or illegal dumping in these islands,” said DEH Director Roydell Carter.

The George Town Landfill is opened 6 days a week (Mon to Sat) from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Also, the public drop-off facility at the landfill remains open 24 hours a day, every day. The public can contact the Police by telephone on 949-4222 or call the DEH at 949-6696 to make a complaint or to obtain further information.