Department of Environment trains SPTC staff to issue improper garbage disposal tickets

On Tuesday, September 17th, the Belize Department of Environment (DOE) organized a training session from 9AM to 12:30PM in Ambergris Caye. The session, hosted by environmental officer Mr. Kendrick Gordon, was to educate council members, traffic managers, and head traffic wardens about a new ticketing initiative. This initiative involves issuing litter tickets to individuals improperly disposing of waste or contributing to environmental pollution, starting with random inspections on the island. Those failing to adhere to the regulations will be subject to ticketing and fines based on the severity of the offense.
Key attendees included Councilor Ernesto Bardalez, Councilor Johnnia Duarte, Councilor Jose Castellanos, Traffic Manager Lorena Bardalez, head wardens Shenique Smith, Melissa Blease, and Armin Badillo, along with representatives from the Ambergris Caye Building Unit.Councilor Bardalez has stated that the San Pedro Town Council’s (SPTC) primary objective is to mitigate the issue of littering across the island. To achieve this, the crucial role of traffic wardens and designated council members in enforcing the new regulations will be to levy penalties. Following the training session, traffic wardens will be able to ticket anyone caught improperly disposing of garbage from vehicles or while walking and to properties without proper waste disposal systems to address the pervasive problem of waste management. Residents are urged to meticulously package and deposit all refuse in designated receptacles and transport non-biodegradable waste to the Solid Waste Transfer station for proper disposal.
Members of the SPTC and DOE are enforcing these rules to create a better, cleaner, and healthier environment for Ambergris Caye. They appreciate residents’ patience and support as these new rules are implemented to improve everyone’s quality of life and control pollution on the island. In the following months, DOE members will also conduct random inspections across the island and issue tickets to violators. The cooperation of all residents is crucial in this endeavor.