The Tribune

The Government is seeking a “holistic” solution to the New Providence landfill’s numerous challenges, and is encouraging a Bahamian consortium to advance its proposal for taking away 25 per cent of existing waste streams.

Kenred Dorsett, minister of housing and the environment, told Tribune Business in a recent interview that the proposal by Waste Resources Development Group (WRDG) fitted with the Government’s desire to divert green and wood waste away from the landfill.

The minister, who has Cabinet responsibility for the landfill, said he wanted to bring both WRDG and Renew Bahamas, the facility’s private sector manager, “to the table” to discuss how all sides could work together for the common good.

Mr Dorsett, though, said this was tied to the completion of an engineering assessment of what is needed to remediate the landfill, and curtail the fires and hazardous smoke that has plagued nearby communities and businesses.

He described the remediation study as “the missing link” in what was required to solve the problems at the Tonique Williams Highway site.

Mr Dorsett was speaking before Renew Bahamas’ current financial difficulties again came to the fore earlier this week, with confirmation that around 40 of its 120-strong workforce had been laid off since the beginning of June 2016 (see other article on Page 1B).

The landfill manager wants to renegotiate its contract with the Government, after finding that its business model, which is totally dependent on income generated by a materials recycling facility, is failing and resulting in the company losing “millions of dollars”.

Mr Dorsett was tight-lipped on the status of negotiations between the Government and Renew Bahamas when contacted by this newspaper earlier this week.

Having told this newspaper to contact him for a briefing following a previous interview, he would only say: “No update yet. That Parliamentary thing threw everything off.”

The Minister did not explain what “that Parliamentary thing” was, although it could be a reference to the long-running Budget debate, during which he revealed that an engineering assessment of the New Providence landfill’s remediation needs was being conducted.

Tribune Business understands that Renew Bahamas and the company doing the study have been co-operating well together, with the Government believing the review will enable it to get a better grasp on the landfill’s issues and potential solutions.

“We have received a preliminary assessment for the remediation of the landfill,” Mr Dorsett told Tribune Business. “That will factor into any decision on the way forward.

“That has been the missing link; having a scientific report. We have a preliminary assessment on what needs to be done for remediating it, and arresting the fires.”

Mr Dorsett said the engineering study was being conducted “in parallel” to the talks between the Government and Renew Bahamas.

When asked by Tribune Business whether landfill remediation, and plans for doing this, were part of Renew Bahamas’ contractual obligations, the Minister conceded that his ministry lacked the technical capabilities to properly review any such proposals.

“Renew Bahamas had responsibility for submitting a remediation plan, but we did not have the technical team in-house to review it,” Mr Dorsett told Tribune Business. “We didn’t want to take what Renew Bahamas presented at face value.”

Hence the engineering firm’s hiring, and subsequent study, which will “indicate what the next step is”.

Meanwhile, Mr Dorsett said it was “absolutely critical” that green and wood waste be diverted from the New Providence landfill, given its potential to cause and sustain fires.

“I’ve encouraged the Bahamian consortium to advance a proposal that speaks to green waste,” he added. “We will not make a determination on it until we have the ultimate remediation plan, but we do want to ensure green waste is diverted from the landfill.

“That is our overall intent, and we encourage the Bahamian consortium to bring their proposal forward, as it’s not something that Renew Bahamas is doing.

“We will bring both parties to the table. We must take a holistic approach to this, and if there are multiple players involved, how that works from an operational standpoint.

Tribune Business earlier this year revealed how the Waste Resources Development Group (WRDG),made up of Bahamian waste services providers, Bahamas Waste, Wastenot, Impac and United Sanitation, had submitted a plant to divert wood and green waste away from the landfill.

Ginny McKinney, head of Wastenot, described the plan as “a win-win” for all stakeholders, as green and wood waste streams would be taken from the landfill and recycled into compost and mulch.

Suggesting that these accounted for around 25 per cent of the waste flowing into the landfill, Ms McKinney said WRDG’s plans would free-up capacity and remove a “volatile component” that was helping to “feed” the frequent fire outbreaks at the landfill.

Mr Dorsett, meanwhile, said the Government hoped to create a recycling depot at the New Providence landfill during the 2016-2017 Budget cycle.

He suggested it would be located at the landfill entrance in an area “off the road”, where materials could be “dropped off, and the likes of electric, plastic and wood waste separated. Vehicles would also escape damage by not having to venture on to the landfill, or cross its weigh bridge.