Pomeroon coconut company fined for dumping waste in river

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has fined a Pomeroon coconut company $1 million for dumping shells and husks into the tributaries of the Pomeroon River.

Fat Boy Coconut Ventures, which is managed by Alphonso and Sons Enterprise, has reportedly dumped an estimated 15,000 coconut shells into the canals that flow into the Pomeroon River.
Residents along the communities in the Pomeroon River have condemned the daily dumping of the shells and husks. As such, the EPA has been called in to address the issue for the past two years.
The shells and husks are a major contributor to flooding and more so, it poses a hazard to the waterways, since residents rely on the river for their livelihood.
Officers of the EPA had since visited the area and had warned of the consequences if they do not desist from dumping the waste.
This reportedly continued and as such, the sanctions were imposed. The company has agreed to pay the fine within 30 days, which comes to an end on July 31.
The company has now embarked on a new initiative to recycle the coconut shells. This comes weeks after the agency hosted a two-day meet the public event which was specially organised in recognition of the fact that most of the agency’s business was conducted by business persons and complainants.
The event was part of the agency’s 23rd anniversary celebration and the World Environment Day and was deemed a huge success since more than one hundred people visited the booth and interacted with agents of the EPA.
The EPA, as the country’s leading regulatory agency, has the responsibility to ensure that the public is informed about environmental issues to promote public participation in matters of environmental management and biodiversity conservation.