The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (M.N.R.E) has launched an investigation to find the culprits responsible for dumping rubbish Malololelei.
The issue was raised by a concerned member of the public, Lui Winterstein, who took photos of the truck involved and sent it to the Samoa Observer last weekend.
The photos were published on the front page of the Samoa Observer on Monday.
“I think the truck belongs to a certain church up here at Malololelei,” Mr. Winterstein said.
“I couldn’t get the picture of the license plate number but I wrote the number down. It’s 14633."
“I want to share these pictures with your readers to show what’s been happening up here. It’s been happening a lot and now I have finally caught these people trashing our environment.”
The Chief Executive Officer of M.N.R.E, Suluimalo Amataga Penaia, said the Ministry takes the matter seriously.
“We are looking to find out where in Malololelei the truck dumped the rubbish and who the truck belongs to,” said Suluimalo.
“Our lawyer will also look into the matter and the lawyer will decide whether we proceed to prosecute the truck owner.”
With that in mind, Suluimalo said that there are also other steps to follow.
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“We have to issue them a warning, and if they still won’t listen then we will prosecute them.”
Suluimalo confirmed that it is an offense to dump rubbish anywhere.
“It is in the Waste Management Act 2010,” he pointed out.
“There is a law that requires people to dump waste in areas that the government has already authorized for waste only.”
Suluimalo said the attitude of people, such as the ones responsible for trashing Malololelei, is disappointing.
He noted that there has been a strong community effort, including the Keep Samoa Clean project, to look after the environment in terms of cleaning up rubbish.
The C.E.O again called on everyone to work with the government and private sector organisations who have committed to help keep Samoa clean.
WHAT THE LAW SAYS
ABOUT DUMPING RUBBISH:
20. General offences related to wastes–(1) A person who
Deposits or dumps wastes at a place other than an approved landfill or waste dump so as to cause pollution to a public area or to land belonging to the government or to another person Commits an offence and is liable upon conviction to a fine:
(a) Not exceeding 50 penalty units or to imprisonment
For a term not exceeding 3 months, or both, for an individual; or
(b) Not exceeding 100 penalty units, or to imprisonment
For a term not exceeding 6 months, or both, for a corporation, or an individual who has committed an offence against this section on a previous occasion
Waste Management Act 2010 (2) A person who:
(a) Throws or deposits any waste; (b) Discharges or permits the discharge of any waste;
(c) Causes the depositing or discharge of any waste, on or in the vicinity of a roadway, vacant land or foreshore, or into any river, stream, creek, pool, well, lake, mangrove or the sea commits an offence and is liable upon conviction to a fine— (i) Not exceeding 50 penalty units, in the Case of an individual; or
(ii) Not exceeding 100 penalty units, in the Case of a corporation, or an individual who has committed an offence against this section on a previous occasion
(3) A person who disposes of wastes from residential or
Commercial premises in a public waste receptacle that is designated as not being for the disposal of such wastes, commits an offence and is liable upon conviction to a fine:
(a) Not exceeding 5 penalty units, for an individual; or
(b) Not exceeding 20 penalty units, for a corporation, or
An individual who has committed an offence against this section on a previous occasion.
23. Prosecutions under this Act
(1)Prosecutions for offences against this Act may be undertaken by the Office of the Attorney General, police officers, environment officers, authorized officers under laws relating to public health, and officers of approved waste management operators who are authorized by the Chief Executive Officer of the approved operator.
(2)If prosecutions are undertaken by an approved waste management operator, the costs of any legal practitioner retained by an approved authority for that purpose may be ordered by a court to be paid to the approved waste management operator.
(3) In addition to imposing a fine for any offence against
This Act, the court may order that the offender is to pay to the relevant approved waste management operator, the cost of removing and disposing of any waste to which the offence relates.
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