Vieux Fort Mayor Hails Derelict Vehicle Removal Campaign

This month, the Community Policing Unit of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) and the Saint Lucia Solid Waste Management Authority (SLSWMA) launched an islandwide initiative to remove derelict vehicles cluttering public roads. The abandoned cars and trucks have been left to rust and decay out in the open. The forgotten vehicles don’t just clog up sidewalks and roads; they also leak dangerous chemicals into the environment, posing a threat to nature and public health. Environmental Conservationist Saphira Hunt warns that over time, chemicals can leak from abandoned vehicles into the ground, impacting soil quality. “If you plant carrots in acidic soil which is heavily laden with heavy metals, the carrots sometimes are consumed without being cooked. We then consume those heavy metals. We course will be bad for our health,” Hunt explained. Local leaders have expressed their support for the derelict vehicle removal campaign. Wayne Cumberbatch, Mayor of Vieux Fort, hailed the project, saying, “We are particularly pleased with the move to remove the derelict vehicles from the streets. It has been a complaint from many of our residents over the last few years. And some of these vehicles have been on the road for one and three...