Residents of Elizabeth Estates are upset that a section of their community is being overlooked and used as a dumping ground.
Julia Richards, an irate resident who contacted Eyewitness News on Tuesday, said since the passage of Hurricane Matthew in October 2016, a bushy area at the entrance of Trinidad Avenue – which is attached to the Elizabeth Estates Clinic – has been used as a dumpsite.
Richards said the area had a foul scent for a very long time because two dead dogs were dumped in the area. She said that she had to pay for the dogs to be bagged and pushed further into the bush to reduce the stench.
Other residents in the area have also expressed their concerns.
Terry Ferguson told Eyewitness News that kids use the bushy area as a haven to ditch school and smoke drugs. She said that she also fears that break-ins would happen because the bush provides an area for thieves to hide.
Ferguson said she contacted the Public Park and Beaches Authority who came to address the issue, but only the area facing the road was cleaned up.
Another resident, Hartley Lundy, along with Richards, said that they both attempted to reach out to Minister of Health Dr. Duane Sands for help but was unsuccessful.
In an attempt to get to the bottom of the issue, Eyewitness News contacted the Health Minister who said that he had no recollection of complaints reaching his office as it relates to dumping in Elizabeth Estates. Sands did instruct Eyewitness News, however, to pass along his number to the concerned residents so that there is some resolve.
Meanwhile dumping was not the only concern of Elizabeth Estates residents. Richards said potholes in the road and dysfunctional street lights seem to be plaguing the area as well.
