Local building firm to shift scrap metal from dump
(CNS): According to the Central Tenders Committee website, the government contract to remove around 6,000 tonnes of the remaining scrap metal at the George Town landfill has gone to a local building company. The contract, which was worth just under $300,000, has gone to Island Builders Co. Ltd, which will now be expected to remove a variety of metal from the landfill over the coming months. Most of the top quality metal was removed by Matrix in 2007, and then more recently government received 300,000 from Cardinal D for six thousand tonnes of baled scrap metal, which was removed in April of this year, but government says a variety of metal still remains scattered throughout the landfill.
This latest contract should see the removal of a variety of scrap, from appliances to construction debris as well as scrap cars and parts, for which government expects to receive $289,280 for the mix of brass, copper, aluminium, steel, tin, cast iron and any other discarded metal still present at the George Town dump, based on a rate of $36.00.
According to the contract, Island Builders must provide all necessary equipment, labour, insurance, finances, and services required to manage and safely process, transport, and remove all of the scrap metals from the site to the overseas market.
The Department of Environmental Health said that scattered in various piles over several acres are as many as 2,500 unprocessed derelict vehicles. “Some of the scrap metals are bulky, including large tanks, containers, heavy equipment, factory components and building structures. These bulky items require special technical capabilities to cut, transport and remove from the site,” the department said in the tender information.
Island Builders is owned by Dean Scott, and according to the firm’s website has built numerous commercial and residential projects in the Cayman Islands. Its latest development is Brookstone, a residential development of 32 homes in Savannah.
Scott told CNS that he was only informed on Tuesday that he had been awarded the contract and final details remained to be settled but he said the contract was to get rid of all the unprocessed metals across the dump, which best guesstimates indicated there was around 6,000 tonnes but there could be more or less as it was almost impossible to tell. Some of the scrap metal, he said, was deeply buried as it has been there for some two decades.
Category: Local News
I sincerely hope that Island Builders knows what they have gotten involved in.
Perhaps IF they really understood what the processing costs on this type of scrap are, as well as the shipping costs involved, they would know that they have paid too much, for too little.
Looks like another ‘Matrix’ in the making, which is a pity, because they are a Hardworking Caymanian company.
I wish them the Best-of-luck ….. they’re going to need it.
Well! They must obviously have some advice from someone who knows a thing or two about scrap metal, and who will provide the equipment and expertize for them to carry out the job. Matrix local partners must have been given sound advice when they became involved, albeit that ended in disaster.
As long as the contract requires that government be paid up front like they were with Cardinal D then there should not be a problem.
However, I would not be surprised if at some later stage this becomes another Boo Boo. I am sure Aunt Julie will handle it just perfectly, if and when it comes to that.
The fact is though, it would really be nice to see the mountain of rusting metal at the landfill disappear someday.