Representatives of the Federation of Associations of the Orihuela Costa (FAOC) have said that they are disgusted by the lack of a decent refuse service on the coast.
They say that the cleanliness and sanitation of many of the rubbish containers on the Orihuela Costa is completely unacceptable and they are now submitting formal complaints to both the Director General of Public Health and the Ombudsman of the Valencian Community.
In a statement issued by FAOC that add that the City of Orihuela is committing a flagrant breach of the municipal ordinance regulating urban cleaning, cleanliness, health and waste management in respect of the waste collection service that they provide to the coast.
On Tuesday they also handed a document to the Council offices in the Orihuela Costa addressed to the councillor responsible for Road Cleaning and Urban Waste, Dámaso Aparicio, in which they state that “despite repeated complaints about the serious deficiencies that affect the collection service of RSU and recycling containers, and that we highlighted recently in the Municipal Plenary held on 28th of September, to this day this deplorable situation still persists “.
The document is accompanied by numerous graphic files and images taken across the Orihuela Costa, in which you can see refuse bins overflowing with rubbish, and containers full of recycling materiel. They also show many other items including large piles of garden waste situated next to containers that are in poor condition, broken or without lids.
The FAOC say that the photos have been sent in to their office by local residents from many different communities across the Orihuela Costa, including Mil Palmeras, Campoamor, Aguamarina, Cabo Roig, PAU’s, Villamartín, La Regia, La Ciñuelica, Los Dolses, Las Filipinas, La Florida and Punta Prima, which, in their opinion, “show that the shortcomings of the service affect the entire municipality of the Orihuela Costa.
In all areas, the common denominator is the shortage of recycling containers, many in a defective condition, as well as the lack of collection or emptying with the necessary regularity.
In the letter, they point out that “all this has produced a dreadful image of the Orihuela Costa for more than two years, with garbage of all kinds scattered around on roadways, pavements and sidewalks, and a significant number of streets where food and oils have spilled onto the tarmac.
These situation, which by their range and frequency are causing social alarm in the neighbourhood, also represent an attack on environmental health, as inadequate management of solid waste can be a problem for the health of residents being, in addition, a focus of environmental contamination and pollution which can have extreme consequences “.
Given the seriousness of the situation, and in view of the failure of the Council to respond to their repeated demands, FAOC have now confirmed that they will be writing to the Sindic de Greuges (Ombudsman) and the General Directorate of Public Health, both agencies of the Valencian Community, requesting that the Ayuntamiento of Orihuela puts in place the necessary means to remedy the current situation.
