environmental health
Garbage pick-up falls behind over holidays
(CNS): The Department of Environmental Health will be starting 2020 much as it has continued throughout this year, playing catch-up on garbage collection. Officials said on New Year’s Eve that the pick-ups, mostly in the Bodden Town area, which should have happened last Thursday and Friday would be dealt with today, Tuesday 31 December, and […]
7 Caribbean countries to ban plastic in 2020
(CNS): Seven Caribbean countries will introduce some form of single-use plastic and polystyrene ban in the New Year, but the Cayman Islands is not one of them. Although government here has been hinting that it is thinking about imposing some form of restriction, plastic use is currently entirely unrestricted, even though the Caribbean region is […]
600 tons of rubbish collected in holiday clean-up
(CNS): Residents threw out more than 600 tons of bulk waste from their homes and yards across the Cayman Islands over the period of the Department of Environmental Health’s annual holiday collection. The free bulk waste collection service ends this Friday, as teams from the DEH clear up in West Bay. Officials said that once […]
CIG cancels meeting on plastic policy
(CNS): Activists pressing government to introduce a single-use plastic ban in the Cayman Islands have expressed how disappointed they are that the ministry has cancelled yet another meeting of the steering committee formed to address the issue. The committee was created this summer to help develop a policy towards reducing the environmental harm caused by […]
DEH 10 years behind, says director
(CNS): The Department of Environmental Health (DEH) director told Finance Committee that garbage management is some ten years behind in terms of staff and equipment. Richard Simms said resources had not increased for more than a decade, despite the growing population and the amount of garbage being generated. As the committee turned its attention to […]
Minister dodges health cover issue
(CNS): The health minister said very little about the pressing issue of health insurance costs when he spoke for almost two hours on Monday during the debate on the Unity government’s $2 billion budget. Despite having some of the most intractable problems of any minister, including garbage collection failures and the increasing struggle many face […]
Mystery ‘attack’ in Cuba likely mozzie spray
(CNS): Canadian researchers might have identified the cause of a mystery illness suffered by diplomatic staff in Cuba three years ago as mosquito repellent gas. After several overseas staff from various countries reported mysterious symptoms, officials from the US, in particular, accused the Cuban government of an “acoustic attack” with a secret sonic weapon.
DEH still struggling with garbage collection
(CNS): Officials from the Department of Environmental Health said that staff shortages are causing the latest garbage collection problems. As rubbish was piling up in and around George Town this week, the department said there had been delays in residential garbage collection services due to “a temporary shortage of staff at the start of the […]
Students lead conservation demands
(CNS): Dozens of students from several schools across the Cayman Islands joined with other young people around the world Friday in another global demonstration about the environment, urging their politicians to take action on green issues and protect their futures. Organised in conjunction with Plastic Free Cayman, the demonstration also drew attention to other urgent […]
DEH urges residents to stop fly tipping
(CNS): The Department of Environmental Health (DEH) is currently running a campaign to urge residents to dispose of garbage properly and to stop fly tipping. While the department is still struggling with its regular residential collection schedules, it is asking people to use the 24-hour drop-off site located at the entrance of the George Town […]
Dump gets only passing mention in SPS
(CNS): Despite being very high on the priority list for many people in the Cayman Islands, the issue of the ever-growing George Town dump and plans to address the constant garbage problems were only mentioned in passing in the Strategic Policy Statement delivered Friday. Premier Alden McLaughlin dedicated less than half a page in his […]
