CMC – Belize Monday said it is working towards addressing the unpleasant stench that is affecting the residents in the capital and has blamed the wastewater emanating from several industries operating “within close proximity to each other”.
The Department of the Environment (DOE) said it is working to address the malodor affecting the quality of air and daily lives of residents and that “the types of effluent that are generated require different treatment approaches to mitigate negative environmental, human health and other impacts”.
The DOE said that along with the Public Health Department, it has been working on the issue with the key industries in the area and had previously met with management personnel of each industry and recommended short-term and medium-term solutions to this problem.
“In the interim, the DOE has requested that more immediate corrective actions be implemented while medium-term measures are underway. Immediate corrective actions include the immediate application of Effective Micro-organisms (EMs) to digest effluent and prevent the emission of malodor.”
The DOE said that the medium-term solution includes the removal of the effluent to a more appropriate location for treatment and urged the public “to report pollution-related issues, mismanagement of our natural resources, and any other environmental violations”.
