The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

RENEW Bahamas’ chief executive officer yesterday expressed gratitude to the Public Hospitals Authority for its recent investigation into the dumping of biohazardous medical waste at the New Providence landfill, saying the PHA’s investigation will “encourage all those who interact with hazardous materials to follow the proper procedures and guidelines in the future”.

Michael Cox, the newly appointed Renew Bahamas CEO, officially thanked the PHA for officially confirming the source of the controversial disposals at the Harrold Road site, adding that Renew Bahamas is pleased that its decision to “raise awareness about the problem” has led “to such positive results”.

Mr Cox also said Renew Bahamas “tries it best to monitor and vet all materials coming into the landfill,” but said with “400 trucks a day” offloading at the site, it is “impossible for our staff to thoroughly examine every load”.

He added that the duty of care consequently lies with the client, particularly in the case of “professional waste collection companies,” to ensure that “the contents of their load have been properly treated”.

Nonetheless, Mr Cox said the company is committed to working closely with the Bahamian public and all of its clients and partners, including the government, to “transform the landfill into a model safe, efficient and environmentally friendly operation in the shortest time possible”.

Mr Cox’s statements came just days after the PHA said its investigation into the disposal of untreated biohazardous medical waste at the landfill determined that the refuse originated from the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) and was not prepared according to international guidelines. The PHA also said that its investigation revealed that the holding station at PMH “has been illegally used by entities to dispose of medical and biohazards waste.”

The PHA also confirmed that investigators found that PMH documents were also found among the disposed refuse.

The investigation follows a report in July about the unsanctioned dumping of medical waste-- vials of blood, used needles and other medical remains--and patients’ documents at the dumpsite.

The PHA’s statement said that as a direct result of the infraction, an “ex gratia offer” of $10,000 was extended to Renew Bahamas to cover costs associated with “all remedial efforts to move and clean up the cited area”.

The PHA said PMH, along with Bahamas Waste, further assisted with remediation efforts by providing disinfectant chemicals, pressurised chemical dispersion canisters, personal protective equipment and technical advice regarding exposure management and decontamination of waste.

PHA also said it has introduced several measures at PMH to mitigate against such an infraction, which includes taking legal action against anyone found disposing waste at PMH, as well as the implementation of closed circuit television (CCTV). PMH has also engaged a safety manager who now has direct oversight for the monitoring of refuse, in particular biohazardous waste.

The PHA also said it has notified the Ministry of Health of its concerns and “has urged that priority be given in collaborating with other government entities in carrying out a more extensive investigation into this illegal practice”.

Yesterday Mr Cox also acknowledged that “indiscriminate dumping of various forms of harmful waste” has plagued the Harrold Road site since the company first began operations in 2013.

However, Mr Cox said due to the company’s “ongoing educational efforts,” many of the company’s regular clients “now appreciate the importance of proper waste treatment and the need to recycle as much of the material coming into the site as possible”.

“Thanks to this growing awareness, along with our ever-expanding remediation efforts, the New Providence landfill is steadily transforming for the better,” Mr Cox said. “The $6m Materials Recycling Facility installed in May was a significant step in the right direction and we believe the PHA’s report is yet another.”

Renew Bahamas is the private company contracted to manage and remedy the problems at the landfill.