Altamar residents in San Pedro express concern over garbage used as road and landfill

Residents in the Altamar Area of San Pedro Town have expressed serious concern about unsightly garbage that has been piled up on one of their access roads. The garbage has been accumulating for some time now and it has become an eyesore, not to mention a serious health risk for local residents in the area. The garbage includes old mattresses, discarded electronic items such as fans, washing machines, televisions, refrigerators and even old stoves.
The residents claim that they have observed vehicles dumping garbage along the road, transforming the area into a garbage site. Residents say that the garbage has attracted rodents, raccoons and even reptiles such as snakes. Some residents even claim that some of the vehicles dumping garbage belong to the San Pedro Town Council (SPTC).
Mayor of San Pedro Town Daniel Guerrero said that he has been made aware of the situation and the SPTC is taking action to address the concerns. “I was notified by a resident. We will be removing what can be removed,” said the Mayor. He added that an uninhabited area near along the street was used to temporarily gather garbage from the area to sort out and load into larger vehicles. According to the Mayor, other private garbage collectors began using the area as a dump for their garbage, something that is not encouraged by the municipality. “We were using it to sort out biodegradable garbage to use as landfill in other parts, but our investigation shows that others have used the area as a dump. We will stop using the area to discourage people from further dumping garbage,” said Guerrero.
The Mayor also acknowledges that garbage disposal is a major challenge, especially since some local residents revert to dumping garbage along the street in the suburbs of the town. Guerrero said that they have addressed those issues in the past, but have seen it popping up in various areas of town. Such irresponsible action, explained the Mayor, is an additional financial burden to the municipality, who has to divert resources to clean up areas that have been used as a dump.
The SPTC will be sending their machinery and equipment to remove the garbage that can be removed from the area. He also encourages residents in the area to report anyone seen dumping garbage along the area in question.