Still trashing this province
In the Aug. 3 edition of The Telegram, there was, yet again, another article on a blatant case of illegal dumping, this time in Clarenville. A week or so ago there was a story in The Northeast Avalon Times about illegal dumping in Pouch Cove. The Town of C.B.S. has had to resort to installing surveillance cameras to deal with indiscriminate dumping. In recent months, there have been several reports of similar occurrences within the City of St. John’s.
But these incidents do not tell the whole story. The fact of the matter is that in every area of our beau- tiful province, you can encounter all manner of garbage. It rears its ugly head from roadside ditches. It exposes its rotting underbelly from beneath the shrubs along woodland paths. And, like some insidious and malignant contagion, it has spread to within a stone’s throw of some of our very backyards and public spaces.
What’s most disconcerting is that this problem is getting worse in a time when, one would think, there should be a more heightened awareness of the importance of protecting our environment.
How much illegal dumping must occur before we hear a queak from our Department of Environment and Conservation?
Must the pristine grounds of Confederation Building be the next place to take a direct hit from illegal dumpers before Minister French takes this problem seriously?
Isn’t it time he and his department took some concrete measures to deal with this issue? Perhaps he could begin by reviewing the work of the Multi-Material Stewardship Board to see how this body might play a more effective role in curbing the problem.
Might he also endeavour to find out what effect changes to how garbage and bulk waste are collected and disposed of in our province might be contributing to the problem?
Some of the illegally dumped material in the St. John’s region appears to come from building and development projects. Perhaps he can try and ascertain if the $65-per-ton dumping fee charged to building and development contractors at the Robin Hood Bay landfill site might be a cause for some of the illegal dumping. At a very minimum, can the minister and his department put more efforts into policing and surveillance so that illegal dumpers are identified and charged? A few successful convictions, together with hefty fines, would send a clear message that this offence will not be tolerated.
Today, we have more tourists visiting our province than ever before. No doubt many of them will be awed by the sheer beauty of this magnificent land. And no doubt, too, many will be unable to comprehend why we so shamelessly desecrate it.