Garbage collection stopped at Olympic sailing venue

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (March 3, 2015) – A program has been halted to retrieve floating rubbish from the sailing venue of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, according to Brazilian media.

A report today in the newspaper O Globo comes just three days after top International Olympic Committee officials ended week-long meetings in Rio, saying they had been “reassured” that severely polluted Guanabara Bay would be suitable for Olympic sailing when the games open.

O Globo said ten rubbish collection boats were out of service because of a lack of funding from Rio’s state government. It said that some barricades to keep household waste from reaching the bay also lacked funding.

Water quality has become a hot-button issue for Rio. Several Olympic-medal winning sailors have said it’s the dirtiest place they have ever competed. – Fox Sports