It is obvious to all Angullians and visitors that large parts of the island are looking shabby. With the significant drought that has taken place in recent months, much foliage has died back exposing litter and rubbish at the sides of roads and making more visible old cars and junk in people’s yards.
The Parliamentary Secretary, Hon Cardigan Connor, has been campaigning on this issue for several years and calls for all residents and visitors to have pride in the island and properly dispose of litter, junk and waste. The Parliamentary Secretary said:
“Anguilla is a visitor’s delight but it cannot remain one with the high levels of littering that are taking place. The lack of rain water and resultant reduction in green growth has exposed our significant litter problem. Some parts of the island are looking dirty. It is totally unacceptable that we can allow our tourist resource, so important to our economy, to be treated like this. I call on everyone to start clearing up their yard and stop all littering as they walk or drive. I have had several discussions with the Attorney General and we are prepared, as Government, to get tough to stop the spoiling of the island. I have discussed the law with the AG and we both agree the law must be more effectively enforced and applied.”
The relevant legislation, the Litter Abatement Act, states:
(1) No person shall—
(a) deposit litter in a public place except in a receptacle provided for the purpose under section 3 or in a place designated for the purpose under that section;
(b) deposit litter in a private place unless authorised to do so by the occupier of that place;
(c) interfere with any receptacle, whether private or public, in which litter has been placed for collection or interfere with the contents of any such receptacle;
(d) transport litter in such a manner that it is scattered or is likely to be scattered in a public place while it is being transported;
(e) permit the accumulation of litter on premises under his occupation or control; or
(f) discharge any litter from a moving or stationary vehicle.
(2) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) is guilty of an offence.
The Attorney General, Hon John McKendrick QC, said:
“Unfortunately, the Litter Abatement Act appears to have fallen into disuse. It is high time that steps were taken to enforce the mandatory terms of this important legislation. Every environmental health officer and RAPF officer is a litter warden. A litter warden can impose a fixed term penalty notice if any of the offences identified in the Act have been committed. The fixed term notice is $ 300 and if it remains unpaid a prison sentence may be applied on summary conviction before the Magistrate. At the end of the day, littering will seriously harm our economy and livelihood, so I very much hope the RAPF and environmental health will begin fully and properly exercising their powers under the Act to end the culture of impunity that has grown up in respect of littering.”
