PM assigns UDC to lead Black River cleanup

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has announced that the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) will lead the cleanup of the town of Black River as recovery efforts following Hurricane Melissa move into a focused implementation phase.

The announcement was made during a tour of Black River, including a visit to Independence Park, where hurricane debris removed during the emergency response phase is being temporarily stored.

The prime minister made it clear that the site cannot remain in its current state.

“This cannot be the final place for the disposal of the debris,” Holness said. “This is Independence Park in Black River. This is a part of the recreational life of the town, and obviously we don’t want to turn this into a minidump. So very soon this has to be removed.”

He said the government has now formally tasked the UDC with responsibility for cleaning up the township of Black River.

“What we have done is to task the UDC to clean up the town of Black River. That is to help the businesses and residents to remove debris generated from the hurricane and to relocate this minidump. It is a huge task, but I know that the UDC has the logistics and management capabilities to do it, and we see that this is important for normalcy to be returned to the town.”

The prime minister emphasised that debris removal is a critical public health matter.

“Management of debris after disaster is critical, not just for the aesthetics, but it also poses a public health risk. We’ve seen situations with leptospirosis. We’re getting that under control, but a critical part of getting the public health issue under control is to get rid of this debris.”