The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE New Providence Landfill has been classified as an “urgent public health hazard” presenting a “chronic health risk” to those operating in and around its vicinity, according to a report compiled by the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation and submitted to the former Christie administration at the end of April.

Among the findings detailed in the nearly 30-page report, Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) called for several short-term “interventions” to be used until long-term sustainable plans could be identified by the government.

According to the report, the “partially controlled nature” of the site has only pushed conditions closer toward biological threats.

The report read: “Considering that the landfill related exposure to hazardous substances could result in adverse health effects both, in-site and out-site, the authors of this report consider that the landfill is an urgent public health hazard.”

It continued: “Therefore, interventions to stop people from being exposed are needed in the short-term.”

The report noted that “at least seven” waster sources were identified at the landfill: municipal or urban solid waste; cruise ship waste; green waste; medical waste; marine litter; e-waste and hazardous waste.

Citing concerns that ranged from surveillance of human health to emergency response and community engagement, the report which was made public by the new Minnis administration last week noted contaminants from varying waste sources had already grown to alarming levels and needed immediate attention.

The damning report was carried out in the wake of a March 5 fire reported at the landfill.

As a result of that massive blaze, residents in Jubilee Gardens and surrounding areas were forced to evacuate their homes after the community was blanketed by thick, black hazardous smoke.

PAHO officials in their report raised concerns primarily over air quality; particles in dust before, during and after the March 5 fire; affects on the soil in the area in and around the landfill and quality of water sources in direct proximity.

Of water sources, the report noted that freshwater resources in the country are “finite and vulnerable,” remarking that the ground water is “vulnerable to contamination from surface sources such as the landfill.”

The report raised specific concern for residents in communities near the landfill using well water.

As it relates to air quality, the report centred its presentation around the findings of an air quality study carried out by Dr Danny Davis, assistant professor of chemistry, environmental and life sciences and director of institutional strengthening at the University of the Bahamas.

That study, initially presented in part to the press in late March, showed a substantial reduction in air quality on days when smoke is in the area - in one case 71 times worse than on clear days.

Concluded results submitted as a part of the report showed that even up to a week after the March 5 fire, concentrations identified by the study were still higher than background concentration - meaning that the air quality had not improved in and around the dumpsite for more than a week after the blaze.

The report read: “The amount of particle matter detected during the fire by Dr Davis would lead one to conclude that there would be an increase in the number of individuals that were assisted in emergency medical services with respiratory symptoms but this has so far not been reported by the Ministry of Health.”

It continued: “The staff clinics did however state that more patients had been seen with respiratory symptoms in the days following the fire, leading the team to conclude that further investigation of the surveillance data should be carried out.”

Despite being to a lesser degree, concerns were also raised over what if any amount of exposure to the dust and soil associated with the landfill could mean for residents.

The report noted on soil: “For children this is an important media, as children can ingest as much as 500mg of soil per day. Chemicals can be found in soil. Important, however, is that many of the children’s settings, such as recreational areas and backyards, are covered with grass. The adherence of chemicals to grass is a factor that decreases the bio-availability of some chemicals.”

With respect to dust the report added: “Two sources of dust are important for this report - soil from the landfill and the particle matter in air originated during fires in the landfill. Dust can be found indoors (household dust) or outdoors (backyards or street dust). Taking into account the small size of dust particles, it has been shown that they can be inhaled or ingested orally (in children hand to mouth). Many chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), brominated compounds and metals can travel adhered to dust particles.”

The report urged the Christie administration to extinguish the then ongoing fires at the landfill and recommended that the administration implement a landfill gas management and monitoring programme, while also clearing and adequately storing more flammable products such as tyres, plastics and wood.

Additionally there were calls for more stringent regulations for land use around the landfill, calling specifically for fire and green space buffers of up to 1,000 metres between the landfill site and residential areas.

The city dump has been plagued with recurring fires for  several years. Renew Bahamas was engaged by the government in 2014 to manage the landfill and help address the matter, however the company ended its services in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew last October.

The government subsequently took over management of the landfill, with responsibility for day-to-day management being given to the Department of Environmental Health Services.