"I have written to the former Attorney-General, I have written to the Commissioner of Police and I have urged that environmental crime should be treated seriously…"
Barbados Minister of the Environment Elizabeth Thompson in The Nation News June 23, 2006.
Liz Thompson Legacy: All Talk – No Action
Please correct us if we are wrong, but back on February 7, 2006 Liz Thompson said in the Legislature…
“It’s time to arrest and charge illegal dumpers”
On February 9, 2006, Barbados Free Press wrote about Minister Thompson's comment and published Barbados Environment Minister Admits Failure Over Hundreds of Illegal Garbage Dumps – where we stated…
Just what has she done?
“Thompson said she had written the police and the Attorney-General on the subject….
Oh very good! Written two letters! And just what does she now propose after 12 years?
“The day the police do some stings at these dumping sites and charge illegal dumpers, we might see a stop to this,” Thompson said.”
That is your plan? A few stings at a illegal dump or two? That’s it?
So here we are five months later, and Liz Thompson is still giving speeches about the same two letters she wrote last year. Meanwhile, personnel from her Ministry have yet to lay a single illegal dumping charge in TWELVE YEARS!
How About Something Closer To Home, Liz?
Ok, Liz – maybe the hundreds of illegal dumps on the island are just too much for a low-level manager like you to handle, so how about something closer to home that you can (perhaps) do something about?
On Monday, here is what we want you to do, Liz…
When you get to your Constituency Office, park your nice new automobile in your usual spot. Just in case you've forgotten where your office is, here is a photo of the building taken from the field just to the northeast…
Now, exit your auto, and walk a measured 158 steps north and then cross the street. What you see are numerous old trucks and engines dumped in the field – with oil from engines, gas tanks and sumps seeping into the ground and water table. The owner of the field is posted on the sign.
Here are some photos to assist you in finding this illegal dump after you walk the 158 steps from your office…
Liz – May We Suggest…
– Send one of your Environment Ministry personnel into the field to assess the situation, take soil samples, gather evidence and note the owner of the field. (The sign displays "Apex Construction Inc. – Telephone 428-7678")
– Send written notice to the owner to clean up the mess within 10 working days.
– Have as a condition that Environment Ministry personnel be present to supervise the clean-up and proper disposal of the contaminated soil and leaking engines/wrecks.
– Follow-up to ensure that not only has the mess been cleaned up, but that the contaminated soil and leaking engines/wrecks have been taken to a proper location for disposal.
There… pretty easy. Do that Liz, and in a few days you will accomplish more to clean up the island than the BLP has done in the past twelve years.
Think you can handle it, Liz?
BFP photos by Shona
Barbados Free Press 