The St Joseph’s Green team put forward key issues about Boyne
WELL done to two lads from St Joseph’s Secondary School, Michael Traynor and Sean Carolan, for doing their bit to highlight the ongoing dumping issues in the Boyne.
The students are part of the Green Schools Committee and they remarked in the school newsletter recently, ‘ The River Boyne is one of the defining natural features in the town of Drogheda. It is a river that has played an integral role in the development and history of our town. Yet it is somehow beyond our capabilities to adequately
maintain and keep clean this vital asset in our community.
‘You need only to take a look over any of the bridges spanning the river and you will likely witness plastic bottles, non biodegradable packaging and even the occasional shopping trolley carelessly thrown into this river which not only is an asset to the people of the town, but is a vital ecosystem that is home to several species of animals and plants.’
They visited the area at Mell football pitch and Dominic’s Park and found a ‘disgusting amount of litter’.
The Green team decided to come up with ideas to try and help the situation.
‘One solution that the Green Schools Committee came up with was an increase in the financial penalties that are handed down to those who are caught perpetrating this crime. We believe that the current fine of €150 does next to nothing to deter people from carelessly discarding their potentially hazardous waste into the river. We believe that if we are going to properly stop people from ruining this great natural feature, the financial implications need to be severe and have a lasting impact.
However, increasing the fines imposed on those who litter is pointless if those who litter are never caught and prosecuted. It is for this reason that we believe that another possible solution for the problem of littering in the River Boyne is an increase in the amount of CC TV cameras and litter patrols present along the river bank.
‘ These are absolutely vital in tackling issues of littering in any area. People need to know that if they are going to litter than they will be caught, they will be identified and they will face the consequences.
‘Another area that needs to be considered in tackling littering problems in Drogheda is an increase in the amount of adequate waste disposal areas in the town itself, particularly in housing estates surrounding the river. Much of the litter in the River is centred around these estates yet there is lit- tle to no means for people to properly dispose of their waste. If there are no bins around, then you might considering dumping that litter in any way you can, which in many cases means carelessly discarding that litter into the River Boyne.
‘Even in the town centre, there is a noticeable lack of waste bins in many areas and it is no coincidence that these areas are areas with large amounts of litter. Even where there are bins, these are often over- flowing which leaves people with little choice but to throw that litter in another place.
‘A Final Word: One thing that we have discovered while researching this problem is that it is not going to solve itself, people don’t just grow out of littering. We need to educate people on the dangerous effects of littering on their communities, we need to pressure our local and county councils and urge them to implement these solutions that we have highlighted and any other that may present themselves.’
Well said lads.