Garbage Piling Up In
Alajuela As Dump
Temporarily Closed
Garbage is piling up in
the streets of seven
cantones - Mora, Grecia,
Poás, Atenas, Santa
Bárbara, San Rafael and
Heredia. The reason?
Nowhere to dump the
refuse.
The temporary closure of
the Los Mangos, in
Alajuela, dump meant
that collection of
garbage on Friday had to
be suspended in the
seven cantones,
according to WPP, the
company operating Los
Mangos.
Residents are being
asked to keep their
garbage in their house
or patios to avoid
animals spreading the
garbage, which would
make matters worse.
The closure was ordered
by the Ministerio de
Salud (Health minitry)
after inspectors found a
leak of leachate
liquids, garbage in open
air and lack of a well
monitoring of
groundwater.
The ministra de Salud,
María Luisa Ávila said
that the dump site did
not pass the inspection
and could not be issued
health permits. "I
prefer, if it was legal,
to have the garbage in
the dump than on the
streets", said minister
Ávila.
WPP operations manager,
Rodolfo Castrillo, said
that there are other
dumps to send the
garbage to, however, it
is a matter of cost. The
closest dump to the Los
Mangos is the Carpio in
La Uruca.
Castrillo added that he
sees no reason for the
closure of the dump and
it should not become a
public health problem.
The report by inspectors
recommend that the
minister evaluate "the
health and environmental
implications that would
bring if the garbage
generated by the 14
cantones served by the
dump cannot deposit
their refuse there".
WPP's Castrillo said the
awaits tomorrow's word
by Salud officials. |
