THE Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wishes to provide some clarifications on the article ‘Paltry Fine for Littering needs to be revised – Deputy Mayor’ which was published in the Guyana Chronicle dated Thursday, April 9, 2015.Please be advised that the Litter Prevention Regulations 2013, under the Environmental Protection Act # 11 of 1996, came into force in November 2013. Enforcement activities for these Litter Regulations commenced April 2014 with the establishment of a Litter Enforcement Unit at the EPA.

The Litter Regulations outlines several offences and penalties and provides for Litter Wardens with authority to enforce these Regulations and with special powers of court on convicting offenders. Under ‘offences’, “A person who, without reasonable excuse, deposits litter in or on any public place…is guilty of an offence”. Also, persons who deposit litter from a moving vehicle unto a public place will be considered an offender. However, if the person who committed the offence cannot be determined, then the driver of the vehicle will be held responsible. Consequently, any individual found guilty of any offence will be liable to a fine of $50,000, while a corporate body will be issued a fine of $100,000. Additionally, it is an offence not to provide a receptacle for litter in public transportation. It is expected that the owner of every vehicle for hire provides within his/her vehicle, a receptacle for the collection of litter. Failure to satisfy this regulation would result in a penalty fee of $15,000. The Regulations also outline the institution of increased penalties for persons found guilty of repeat offences. If a person is found guilty of committing a litter offence, the litter prevention warden may instruct that person to place the litter in the nearest receptacle or “remove the litter to the nearest approved site.”
According to the Litter Enforcement Regulations 2013, “where any person is convicted of an offence under regulation three (Special Powers of Court on Convicting Offenders), the court may, in addition to imposing a penalty, order the offender…to clean up and remove such litter deposited in such public place within such period specified in the order”.
The Regulations allow for the appointment of Litter Prevention Wardens by The EPA, and by virtue of their office, Officers of the Guyana Police Force, Local Authority, Ministry of Health, Harbour Master, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, and the Guyana Forestry Commission, among others are deemed Litter Wardens for the purposes of implementing the Regulations. Persons with such authority “may summarily act to prevent the deposit or attempted deposit of litter in any public place in which they are authorised to act”.
During the lead-up to the commencement and actual implementation of enforcement activities, the EPA has consulted and continues to collaborate with several stakeholders including the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, and the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), specifically the Town Clerk, the Chief Constable of the City Constabulary, the Director of Solid Waste, and the City Engineer.
These stakeholders were briefed on the contents of the regulations, the offences, and penalties, and were advised that the City Constabulary Offices can bring charges against offenders under these regulations.
The EPA continues to collaborate with these and other stakeholders in executing its litter prevention programme. As part of implementation activities, and the appointment of Litter Wardens to enforce the provisions of the regulations, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment and the EPA hosted several workshops aimed at appointing persons as Litter Prevention Wardens under the Litter Prevention Regulations (2013). Officers from the Guyana Police Force, The City Constabulary, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, the Guyana Forestry Commission and the Harbour Masters and Public Health Officers were officially appointed as Litter Wardens.
The EPA’s Litter Wardens have been engaging the City Constabulary in enforcement activities, including and conducting joint enforcement in the City. In addition, the EPA continues to work with and receives support for clean-up activities in the city by the Solid Waste and the City Engineers Departments respectively.

INDARJIT RAMDASS
Executive Director, EPA