BT coalition calls for investigation into dump deal

| 14/12/2012

bt dump.JPG(CNS): Following the arrest of the premier this week as a result of a number of criminal investigations, the Coalition to Keep BT Dump Free has called on the authorities to also examine the deal between government and Dart that involves the relocation of Grand Cayman’s landfill. Charles Clifford, a former tourism minister and MLA for Bodden Town, along with other coalition leaders said the agreement has been cloaked in secrecy, and invites serious suspicion of abuse of office, conflicts of interest and disregard for the law. The group also said the Dart dump deal makes a mockery of the recently adopted Framework for Fiscal Responsibility (FFR).

“The so-called ‘ForCayman Investment Alliance’ (FCIA) agreement raises serious questions of possible wrongdoing. It must be suspended immediately, investigated and exposed in order for Cayman to prove to the world that it’s indeed committed to transparency, due process, good governance and the rule of law,” Clifford said.

Pointing to the Central Tender Committee’s rejection of the Dart proposal to move the dump and its approval of a bid to deal with the George Town landfill on site with waste-to-energy, coalition leader Alain Biener believes that that with the recent amendments to the Public Management and Finance Law and the adoption of the FFR, the deal may be illegal.

“Aside from the need for all major public projects to be fairly bid upon, valuable Crown land is being ‘swapped’ as part of the FCIA deal, with no open tendering process to determine its value. These are substantial assets which belong to the people, and they’re being left to Premier Bush to give away,” he said.

Clifford said there had been an abuse of office with government’s “muzzling” of its own Environmental Advisory Board, which had recommended that it be mandated to identify the best waste management solution for Grand Cayman, and that an open and independent site selection process be conducted. But, instead, it has been limited to reviewing only the Dart proposal.

In addition, Cardno Entrix, the consulting firm charged with carrying out the EIA was also involved in defining the TORs, despite being the entity that will undertake the study. The firm is also being paid by Dart and not government, which coalition leader Gregg Anderson described as “a blatant conflict of interest”, stating that no one should seriously expect an honest, reliable and independent assessment.

The coalition still stands by their point that no government entity has ever made the decision that the GT dump must be closed and moved and that there has never been an independent site selection process

“Moving the dump instead of fixing the problem where it is may be in the interests of a private developer, but clearly not in the interests of Caymanians,” Anderson added.

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  1. Brittodabone says:

    Just move the dump from the important bit of the island to the unimportant bit as soon as possible.

    • Anonymous says:

      Man that sure is a load of unimportant grey matter you're carrying around. Promise us you won't let them dump THAT in Bodden Town. 

  2. Anonymous says:

    Whether or not the Dart dump deal and the West Bay Road giveaway are defeated in a referendum, the FFR law requires that such projects be submitted to due process and open tendering.  The same applies to the Crown land involved in each, to properly establish their true value.  After all, would you trust McKeeva and Dart to determine this and then give away public assets?  The value of any portion of West Bay Road is obvious to all, but the more ignorant among us may miss the value of the GT landfill site, blinded by the trash sitting on it presently.  For Dart, extending their Camana Bay property through to GT is of immense value.  Mount Trashmore can easily and affordably be eliminated within a few short years, and the GT landfill properly managed and kept clean, using small, modular WTE air burners and a comprehensive sorting/recycling programme throughout Grand Cayman.  Let Dart's money be used to do this, instead of exporitng the problem to BT and creating a Mount Trashore East.  After all, they did buy land near a dump, but no one in Midland Acres did.  They aren't as wealthy and powerful as Dart, but aren't they just as important?

    • Anonymous says:

      "Mount Trashmore can easily and affordably be eliminated in a few short years", what are you talking about??? If what you believe is true don't you think the problem would have been solved by now? It is a huge problem costing $100s of millions of dollars to do as you suggest.

      You arm chair quarterbacks have the simple answer, just have Dart pay. Listen to yourself

    • Anonymous says:

      You (and SO many others) are so busing writing nonsense that you're NOT LISTENING to FACTS.  The facts are:  there is NO final deal yet and whatever deal is struck WILL COMPLY with all regulations and permitting processes including FFR.  

  3. Anonymous says:

    It’s stated in the TOR that recycling will not be introduced for 5 to 20 years. I am sure that was the plan with the GT dump and look at what disaster that is. The GT dump is not at it’s end. The pile needs to be remediated, there is $25,000,000 worth of fill in that pile. A hole needs to be dug but this time it should be lined. It could be done! Let’s support recycling now and let’s not contaminate a new site.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Why not put this to a vote in May as a Referendum question during the election vote – along with the other hotbutton issues???

  5. Anonymous says:

    Where is this valuable crown land? The GT landfill? You havina laugh!

    • Anonymous says:

      Um, so you haven't even read the documentation as clearly you have no knowledge of the portion of WB Road which is being closed and the prime beach land along SMB/WB Road being handed to Mr Dart so that he can develop another hotel whereby his guests staying at that hotel, don't have to cross the road to get to the beach?  All this in return for a piece of wetland in BT so Dart can get the dump out of his back yard and away from his businesses.

      • Anonymous says:

        I thought the land was already his, so that’s not crown land? Is it? And anyway government also benefits as they get a bigger beach with no road through it. Or are they selling that to? Disgusting.

      • Anonymous says:

        Clearly you (9:21) haven't read the documentation either.  The proposed Waste Management Facility and the the GT dump have NOTHING to do with West Bay Road……they are in separate agreements.  The NRA Agreement deals with the road and that Agreement has been executed.  The Agreement which includes the proposed WMF and cleaning up the GT dump is a separate agreement which has NOT been executed yet.  Get your facts straight!

  6. Anonymous says:

    I have a feeling that if anyone else except Premier Bush had been leading this country into oblivion, there would have been one major statament mad when Dart approached about moving the dump.  My consensus has always been, "He scooped up the property across the road from his West Indian Club for a sont.  When his wizards started planning the Camana Bay Town, they must have known that the dump was right next to them, so if it is such an offensive sight and smell, why did he develop where he did?"  He offered huge financial support to the people in power to do as he wanted, so he has bought our government for 30 pieces of silver.

     

     

  7. Anonymous says:

    It is regrettable that those against the country dealing with its greatest enviromental problem choose to be so negative and closed minded. Instead of trying to block the entire waste management facility this group could be fighting to insure that it is done properly with mandatory recycling and proper management preferably with a 10 year management contract with Dart. But no they are unable to accept the reality that the George Town dump has reached the end of its useful life and something needs to be done.

    This group seems to have perfected the skill of marching backwards.

    • Anonymous says:

      So in other words, instead of trying to deal with proper management at the current location, forget about due process, and doing things properly under the FFR, just get that dump out of my back yard.  Or are you not able to accept the reality that what is being offered to the people of Cayman is simply another lined dump in BT, more environmental issues moving forward, and the fact that this whole deal is illegal.  You just want it gone from you area.  I suppose you moved there after the dump too like most of the other people complaining but what I want to know is – if the dump is so offensive to you all – why did you move into the area in the first place?

      • Anonymous says:

        If those are the best arguments then at least you didn't pretend that the George Town dump isn't a disaster waiting to happen. I guess that isn't a concern for you in Boddentown. Reread my post and realize something needs to be done.

        • Anonymous says:

          So where in my post did you glean that I was from BT?  I am an expat in GT with a background in law and in particularly envrionment and the nuisance in England.  I appreciate there's a problem.  I know other workable solutions have been suggested.  I am saying that if they tried to do the same thing in England it would be illegal.  So if its illegal in England, how the heck can it be legal in Cayman where we follow English laws?

          I notice nobody has yet answered my question about why did they move close to the dump if they found it so offensive?  I know I made darn sure not to live in the immediate vicinity.

  8. Anynomous says:

    Chuckie you are only looking for votes in Bodden Town, but we are not voting for any PPM again

    • Anonymous says:

      Come back down to earth Dufus. Chuckie left the PPM 3 years ago !

  9. Anonymous says:

    I am a supporter of the Coalition to keep BT Dump free and trust me there are hundreds of us! And I am glad you have pointed out this deal has not been signed but who knows what kind of hand shake deals have been done. The dump is a disgrace and it you think for a moment that we are going to allow the same thing to happen where we live in BT then you are sadly mistaken! I love that the picture shown has an imaginary road that may not even happen for 10 Years.
    Thank you BT Coalition you are our voice and we support you to do what is nessesary to keep this dump out of BT. Fix it where it is! It can be done. Mr. Dart stop spending your money in BT and concentrate to fix the problem where it is since you saved so much money buying the land next to the dump in the frist place!

  10. Anonymous says:

    You have to do something with your dump or stop producing garbage/

    I did not hear anything about recycling yet ..

  11. Anonymous says:

    CNS, could you attached a larger copy of the map shown here. Thanks

     

    CNS: I've attached a slightly larger picture. Is that OK?

  12. Anonymous says:

    BT Coalition and the only 2 or 3 people who claim to be "members" are grasping at straws!  There is NO deal yet….the Agreement hasn't been signed and the proponents are working through the technical review processes with the relevant government authorities, in order to help inform Government's decision when it considers signing the Agreement.  The BT Coalition is making noise unnecessarily and without much support…..give it up already.

    • Anonymous says:

      Then why is the site already being cleared with roads being built all through it? 

      • Anonymous says:

        It’s being cleared for that oil refinery Mac wanted!

      • Anonymous says:

        To 15:33…..open your eyes and ears.  The site is NOT being cleared.  Trails have been made to allow necessary testing of the soils and groundwater for the environmental impact assessment, which is part of the regulatory process BEFORE the deal gets signed.  No drama there. And in fact, there is a CPA-approved subdivision of the property which would allow the landowner to go in and do these tests anyway, regardless of whether or not they were conduciting an EIA….again, do drama there.