Disturbed South Side tenants slammed Bermuda Land Developing Company (BLDC) once again over the condition of a trash site which continues to be a dumping ground gone out of control.

BLDC came under fire three weeks ago for failing to remove a trash pile up problem along Marginal Wharf in St. George's Harbour. Although the area was cleared following initial complaints, a second trash mountain has now sprouted.

And tenants said they are fed up with the lack of interest BLDC is showing about the "appalling sanitary conditions''.

A tenant who wished to remain anonymous said: "They have taken all the containers away so people come there and dump their trash anywhere -- it's really awful. There are rats the size of cats running around down there and BLDC refuses to do anything about it.

"Now there is the threat of a hurricane coming and the trash is going to be blown all into St. George's Harbour. It's all piled up along the edge of the wharf.'' BLDC originally provided bins for refuge, because there was not a regular garbage pick up for the South Side residential area.

However, BLDC facilities manager, Rudy Daniels noted that bins placed for trash pick up was specifically for household residents at South Side, not for commercial properties.

He added that when the problem got out of hand three weeks ago, the trash was cleared and the bins moved to another location. Since then, people have continued to dump trash in the place where the bins used to be.

In defence of his company Mr. Daniels hit back at the tenants and said they helped to cause the unsightly pile up.

"Basically we have commercial tenants at Marginal Wharf dumping their trash at a site that is meant for South Side residents. We are not obligated to take away the trash that is generated commercially. There are wood shops and mechanics and seafood warehouses.

Mr. Daniels said that, because of the recent Cup Match holiday, the trash pile up has seen a significant increase. He said that appeals to the community in that area have gone unheard.

"People do come in at night and dump their trash, so in the morning we saw about 50 new bags of trash in that area. But in terms of the commercial tenants in that area, they need to go and buy bins for their own businesses.

"We know there is a problem. And there are people dumping refrigerators, bed frames, mattresses and stoves. It's not our obligation to clean it up, but we do.

"It's costing us some $2,500 a month to do it. It's the commercial tenants' responsibility to contract someone to take away their trash.

When told of Mr. Daniels' claims one tenant reacted angrily, saying that the rotting piles of refuge are not commercially generated and are being dumped by South Side and St. David's residents.

"That's totally ridiculous!'' the tenant said. "We all have our own separate garbage cans that we take away ourselves. Where the trash is piled up is on BLDC property.

"They are just passing the buck. If they are not going to be responsible for cleaning it up, then Works and Engineering needs to step in and do something.'' But a Works and Engineering spokesperson said their department is responsible only for the pick up of household generated trash and noted that commercially generated trash is the responsibility of independent sanitation companies.

Mr. Daniels noted that his company had attempted to clean up the garbage yesterday but hoped to come to a common ground with South Side residents and the commercial tenants soon.

Let's fix it!: Three weeks after South Side tenants complained about trash build up, the trash has started to multiply again.

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