Cozumel, Q.R. — A man caught dumping garbage in a vacant lot of Cozumel has been arrested and fined. The man was caught red-handed dumping large unwanted items on a lot in the Urba neighborhood last week.
He was caught after the city responded to neighbor complaints of the illegal dumping. The unnamed island resident is a metal scrap collector. Once items were stripped of their metal, the unwanted parts and pieces were illegally dumped on a neighboring lot.
Cozumel Mayor José Luis Chacón Méndez says these types of practices seriously affect the city’s image and the environment.
In response to one of the community’s most frequent complaints, the municipal government headed by José Luis Chacón Méndez took firm action against pollution in vacant lots, arresting a person red-handed for dumping bulky waste on a piece of land in the Urba neighborhood.
“The Mayor has reiterated that his administration listens to the people and responds to the issues that most affect Cozumel residents, so this citizen complaint was immediately addressed through the Public Safety Department and with the support of various municipal departments,” Chacón Méndez said in a statement.
The operation was led by Judith Argüelles Camaal, Deputy Director of Ecology; Francisco Abad Vázquez, Deputy Director of the Recyclable Materials Collection Center (CAMAR) and Russel Cohuo, Coordinator of Green Areas for the Public Services Department.
They confirmed that the individual, along with others, was collecting scrap metal in exchange for money and illegally depositing it on a property without the owner’s authorization.
This practice seriously affects the urban image and the environment, in addition to creating hotbeds of infection, unpleasant odors, and conditions that favor the presence of harmful fauna and mosquitoes that transmit diseases such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya.
The offender was brought before the Civic Judge who applied the provisions of Article 165 of the Police and Good Government Ordinance, which establishes fines for polluting property or public streets with garbage, debris, or unhealthy waste. In this case, a fine or, alternatively, 32 hours of arrest were imposed as an exemplary measure.
The Municipal Government reminds islanders that CAMAR is available for the free reception of this type of waste, promoting responsible management that avoids harming the environment and the health of the population.
With actions like this, the Cozumel government is working for the common good, listening to the people and acting for the good of the municipality.
