The Derelict Vehicle Project

Removal of Derelict Vehicles on St Vincent
The CWSA/SWMU is now embarking on the second major phase of derelict vehicle removal from across the island. The first phase began in 2004, when a Trinidadian Company, Trinidad Extraction and Recycling Limited (T.E.A.R.) were contracted by the CWSA to collect process and export derelict vehicles. This phase ended after approximately one year.

Since then, there has been a further build-up of derelicts, including motorbikes and other heavy metals along some roadsides and banks. This indiscriminate and illegal dumping activity continues to be a problem for the CWSA/SWMU, as policing and prosecution efforts have not been as successful as hoped.

A derelict vehicle can be defined as any vehicle that is incapable of moving under it’s own power or has had a part or parts removed, rending it of no other value but to be scrapped.

There are several issues that come to the fore:

• Derelict vehicles provide a  breeding ground for insects
• Derelicts provide the potential for the pollution of our natural environment (soil and water) from used oil and chemicals in the engines of the these vehicles
• The appeal of the natural environment is adversely impacted

In this new phase, officers of the SWMU and the Public Health Department have already been making island-wide visits to determine the location and ownership of these derelicts. With this information, the CWSA along with a locally contracted re-cycling Company will proceed to notify owners about the impending removal. In the event that ownership cannot be determined, vehicles will be tagged with the relevant notice, prior to the actual removal.

The CWSA/SWMU anticipates the full cooperation of the general public and invites discussions and suggestions on the way forward. Contact the CWSA/SWMU for more information.