Human beings and animals rummage through the Riverton City landfill in Kingston. - Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer

Move the city dump

Dear Ms Thompson,

This is a national disgrace due to the fact that the previous government sat on a project development for close to four years. This project would have dealt with this matter and other dump sites without any capital investment from the Government and would have opened up a new revenue stream. After numerous meetings, lobbying and consultations, the decision-making process was sadly lacking.

Patrick Douglas

Georgetown, ON, Canada

Dear Ms Thompson,

I must commend you on the well-written article in the Health section of Wednesday's Gleaner highlighting the harmful effects of the Riverton City dump.

Driving into the city from the Portmore causeway approach on Tuesday afternoon, I wondered if many Kingston residents were aware of the thick blanket of smog that hung over the city and what it contained. I certainly left the city as soon as my business was complete, as I could just imagine what the air over the city contained.

To play devil's advocate, however, to the idea of moving the dump to another location, this would simply subject residents of the chosen area to an evil they had no part in creating. If the dump were to be moved to my area of the countryside, I would be breathing in the effects and after effects of someone else's lifestyle, and that of itself is unfair. Why should I have someone else's refuse next door to me?

Each community/individual should shoulder the responsibilities of their actions and lifestyle, and as such, the proper treatment of the refuse and effluent from the city must be contained in and by the city and treated properly. 'Move the city dump' ought to be renamed 'Improve the city dump'.