The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

RESIDENTS living near the waste treatment facility in the Chesapeake Subdivision said they continue to be bombarded by “smelly” odours and believe that sewage has recently spilled at the plant.

However, an official at the Grand Bahama Utility Company denied any recent spills. He said heavy rain a week ago may have made odours from a nearby pond more noticeable. However, he said, the smell is not coming from the plant.

On Wednesday, Chesapeake resident Shuffle Hepburn provided video footage of what he alleges is a raw sewage spill that occurred at the plant on March 16. He also claimed that the open-air tank collecting the raw sewage sometimes overflows onto the ground below during heavy rain.

Mr Hepburn reported that the odours have been more frequent in the past three weeks during Spring Break when occupancies at the Lucaya hotels are higher than usual.

He does not believe that the pond is the source of the smell.

The waste treatment plant handles raw sewage from the hotels in the Lucaya area. It is capable of handling and treating 1.2 million gallons daily.

Ezekiel Hall, an official at GBUC who oversees the operation of the plant, said they have not had any spill episodes there.

He explained that sometimes the pumping truck pumps debris from the raw sewage bin for transport to the landfill.

“During the pumping exercise, we have a wash down and we use a hose to spray down and wash the facility. So if they see liquid there, we have a slab containment area so that any washed out water is fully contained. It is not a spill episode or anything of the sort,” he said.

Mr Hall also lives in the Chesapeake area and recalls smelling a strong odour a week ago.

“I think a week ago on Monday night we had torrential rain, and immediately after that there was a very strong, pungent odour which I attributed to the pond, and anyone living near a surface pond can attest to experiencing similar odours. Then we also had heavy draft and I was aware of the smell, but there was no spill episode at the plant or anything of the sort.”

However, Mr Hepburn claimed that sewage-pumping trucks were seen over the past three weeks cleaning up what he alleged were spills at the plants.

Mr Hepburn said that a number of residents are concerned about their health. Some persons, he said, have complained of experiencing frequent headaches, sinus problems, dry eye syndrome, etc.

He said that residents have fear of possible contamination of the fresh water table.

“The residents of Chesapeake believe that there are no regulations enforced at the Midshipman Sewage plant,” said Mr Hepburn.

In January, official held a tour of the plant. During that time, Arthur Jones, vice president of Building and Development Service at the GB Port Authority, said there is no risk from the facility.

Mr Jones admitted that there was a spill incident two years ago, but none since then. He noted that the operation of the treatment facility is in full compliance with the international operational procedures laid out by the World Health Organization (WHO).

“We operate a very safe plant here; we are very satisfied with operating procedures,” he said at the time.