The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

A Cabinet Minister yesterday said his Ministry was reviewing proposals by a Bahamian consortium and other groups in bid to resolve the New Providence landfill’s environmental and health hazards “in the shortest possible time”

Kenred Dorsett, minister of the environment and housing, said the Government was keen to find a private sector replacement for Renew Bahamas to take over the landfill’s management, once again relieving itself of the responsibility.

Mr Dorsett told Tribune Business: “The Department of Environmental Health Servcies (DEHS) has taken over the landfill temporarily. A number of proposals have come to the Government.”

Renew Bahamas walked away from its contract in Hurricane Matthew’s aftermath, after it was unable to generate the necessary income to sustain itself amid a decline in world commodities prices, and a fire that rendered its materials recycling facility inoperable for several months.

Tribune Business revealed last week that

the 10-strong Waste Resources Development Group (WRDG) has met severaltimes with the Government, which is increasingly eager for a solution to the landfill’s woes ahead of Baha Mar’s April 21 opening.

Tribune Business sources indicated that WRDG, whose members include companies such as Wastenot, United Sanitation, BISX-listed Bahamas Waste and Impac, had been asked to come up with a management/business plan for the landfill, together with the necessary financing, “in an extremely short time”.

Mr Dorsett, though, indicated yesterday that WRDG was not the only group the Government may be listening to.

He indicated: “We have been in discussions with the Bahamian consortium for the better part of nine months. In the first instance, it was a focus on green waste and, as a result of what has transpired with Renew, they have had discussion on whether or not they can provide some long-term assistance in terms of the overall management.

“We’re reviewing matters that they have put before us and looking at their proposals, as well as others who have submitted proposals. For me, my instructions to the Ministry were in the shortest possible time to put this in a structured format, where interested parties can make proper presentations to the Government for us to be able to reach a conclusion on the matter.”

Mr Dorsett told Tribune Business the Government had saved money during the years that Renew Bahamas managed the landfill. “We saved money over the years that Renew was there,” he said.

“The monies that were otherwise budgeted for its operations  were no longer required. We are in there temporarily, but it is not something that my ministry or the department wants. We believe that the best solution is a private sector solution, but we do have the remediation plan in place which was finalised late last year and approved by Cabinet. The two parallel paths for us are remediation and operation. We are now, in my opinion, in a position to execute and implement those plans.”

Graeme Davis, the top Bahamas-based executive for Baha Mar’s new owner, Chow Tai Fook Enterprises (CTFE),  recently went public with his concerns over the landfill.

“It’s a huge concern for us, as it is for many businesses and persons,” Mr Davis said of the landfill on ‘The Revolution’ radio show. “The last thing we want is a toxic plume of smoke coming over the golf course on the day we open.

“We’ve already encouraged and spoken to the existing government that they need to address it, and they’ve made a commitment to address it. We’re all concerned, and want to make sure it is addressed and goes away.”