Neighbors ‘ducking flies’ as bulk waste pile sprawls near apartments

A West Bay woman says she is fed up with ducking flies.

This, as a massive heap of garbage is accumulating right across the street from her apartment. She said people are coming from all over the district to add their garbage to the eyesore, and she hopes the Department of Environmental Health can work through its myriad issues to get it picked up quickly.

“There’s washing machines, there’s exercise machines, there’s fridges, there’s stoves, there’s plastic, there some of everything, you name it, it’s there,” said West Bay resident Mitzi Boothe, describing the growing mess that’s building up just outside her door.

“We have people living in that apartment there, across the street, sky view apartments, we have kids there and everybody is bringing their garbage from all over the district west bay and we cant open our doors because of the flies,” she said.

The pile starts on Garston Smith Dr. and continues around the corner along Stadium Dr.

“We have the dogs, we have the people digging into there, we have the chickens scrubbing it up, and it’s blowing all over the place, and I think it is unfair for us people that are paying rent and living so close there,” said Ms. Boothe.

She said some are even dumping their ordinary household garbage on the bulk waste pile.

“There’s a lot of people that should know better, to know what to dump and not to dump there, and everybody is just bringing everything like I said, household garbage, it’s unfair,” she said.

The bulk waste collection period for West Bay is scheduled from 11 December through the 18th.

As the DEH battles issues with broken equipment and an escalation in overtime that prompted the ministry to launch an internal audit, Ms. Boothe is hopeful bulk waste collection won’t fall behind schedule.

“I would hope that it ain’t going to be before our doors for Christmas, because it’s very ridiculous,” she said.

West Bay Central MLA Captain Eugene Ebanks, who represents the area, told Cayman 27 he has fielded a number of calls about the waste pile in recent days.

He said he’s confident the DEH will have it taken care of by the 18th as scheduled.