Dump future still in question
(CNS): As activists in Bodden Town plan to meet with their government MLAs to raise their concerns over proposals to put a new waste management site in their district, there is still no news on the future of the current dump in George Town. Although both the government and Dart have indicated that the ForCayman Alliance is still on thetable, there is growing speculation that the agreement government had signed with the UK will put a halt to the proposed public-private partnership with Dart. The deal, if it is ever signed, is expected to include the exchange of crown land for Dart property, in particular the landfill, as well as cash and a promise of future investment.
One of the many projects that the UDP government had promised to address when it came to office, the dump, like the development of cruise berhting facilities, has become mired in controversy as it continues to leach into the North Sound.
Although the ministry announced this time last year that the contract to manage and operate the landfill had gone to a US based waste management expert and their local partners after an open tendering process, an about face by the premier weeks after the announcement by the deputy premier’s ministry, saw that contract more or less negated. Juliana O’Connor Connolly, the minister with responsibility for the dump, has never made any public comment on the premier’s decision to override her ministry’s original plans.
Hopes that work on the ever-growing landfill would have begun earlier this year were dashed when the firm’s proposal to begin a waste-to-energy project, mine the dump and introduce a recycling programme were halted by the premier’s decision. Talks with Wheelabrator and CWML and a former member of the UDP, Peter Campbell, were stalled and the dump issue remains unaddressed
In January of this year Bush said he had agreed to allow Dart to have the current dump site in exchange for the development of a new facility in the Midlands Acre area of Bodden Town on land owned by the developer in the central wetlands area. This was based on the bid which Dart had submitted during the open tender for the project that had been rejected by the ministry’s technical committee.
In the spring, however, it became apparent that the Dart dump-swap was part of a wider deal between government and the islands’ biggest developer.
However, the people of the district say they have not been consulted and have now formed a coalition movement to prevent the government and its private sector partner from establishing the new site in the historic district. The Coalition to Keep BT Dump Free has been endorsed by opposition MLA for the district, Anthony Eden, but Dwayne Seymour and Mark Scotland have agreed to meet with the activists to discuss their concerns.
Vincent Frederick, a spokesperson for the project, said the activists intended to make it clear they could not support the dump being moved to their community and hoped the government MLAs would listen. “We wonder if the request received is just ‘PR window dressing’ or if it’s a genuine attempt to listen to our concerns and to consider our demands,” he said with a degree of scepticism as he noted that from the beginning the people of Bodden Town were not consulted about this proposal.
“No effort at allhas been made to explain to residents of Bodden Town why establishing a dump in our district is in our interests,” he said. “It clearly is not in our interests.”
The coalition is asking the MLAs “to stand up for their constituents” and the district and to support the campaign against moving the dump to Bodden Town, giving voice to the interests of the people that voted the MLAs into office rather than those of a private company, Frederick added. The campaigners believe that not only will the proposal to move the dump threaten the integrity of the historic district and Cayman’s first capital but will challenge its already inadequate infrastructure and endanger the central wetlands.
“It offers no jobs or economic growth to our district. On the contrary, it will be an immediate obstacle to new businesses being established here and to new residential developments. While Dart’s real estate will increase in value, Bodden Towners will suffer a decrease in their property values,” Frederick said. The truth is that Bodden Towners are being told to accept this threat to its well-being, to its environment, to its potential economic growth and to its future for the good of Dart,” he said.
However, since government signed a framework agreement with the UK which requires an extensive independent business analysis and review of any proposed capital project, the ForCayman Alliance, of which the dump move is a key component, is likely to be delayed considerably even if it could still go ahead under the agreement.
CNS has contacted Dart to enquire about its plans to push ahead with capping and remediating the landfill in George Town and establishing what it has described as a state-of-the-art eco-waste management as well as its plans regarding the proposed investment deal and is awaiting a response.
Category: Politics
Since Cayman is GOING GREEN I think we should BAN the importation of all styrofoam products. I mean we have a dump but its the second worst biodegradable product on the planet.
http://www.earthresource.org/campaigns/capp/capp-styrofoam.html
Bit Ironic dont you think Mr Dart?
Put Elio in charge of the dump. He's all slick garbage anyhow.
McKeeva needs to try to stay away from these 'deals' that he keeps getting into with people and start acting like a businessman in the interest of our country and our people. He is not sufficiently intelligent to bring this country out on top in these kinds of 'negotiations' with experienced business magnates. It appears that he repeatedly insists on taking these routes in preference to the humiliation of having to listen to or take advice from anyone else. If Dart is interested in purchasing the dump then have it professionally valued and SELL it to Dart with specific conditions in regards to how it can be remediated, rather than allowing Dart to tell us how it should be doneand where the dump should be relocated to. That is the way to 'Govern' a country. The other way to govern a country is to identify every possible site in Cayman to re-locate the dump to and let the people of the country, properly and thoroughly educated on ALL the pros and cons by the best un-influenced professionals in the business, vote on where it should go rather than stuffing it down the throats of those who McKeeva and Dart says should swallow it. That is what is meant by the word democracy that is supposed to be the cornerstone of the United Democratic Party .
“CAVE”… that’s wonderful.
I vote for West Bay. Might cover up the stench ofa certain resident there.
Eye On The Island says to dump the UDP, i agree withhim 100%, only thing is that we would have to put them in a proper waste facility so not to pollute our precious sea and wetlands,the PPM have been buried in that open dump now for two and a half years and causing serious contamination to our sea and marine life,we cannot continue to make mistakes with our garbage!!
No other country still in existance is a better example of "a house divided amongst itself cannot stand" Then the Cayman islands.
Why don't we just throw all our garbage in the sea? It will float away and be someone else's problem.
Ship it to the Brac!
Enjoy your meeting ministers, you wont have to do it for much longer and then never again. Bodden towners, give these spineless dogs what they deserve
Where the hell do the naysayers want us to damm dump?
I thought crown land couldn't be sold or traded off or developed. That was just the impression I had over the years…it seems like everything has changed and laws broken
West Bay would actually be the best place for the dump!
Right by that coconut tree behind your house…
CAVE people … Here we go again! Caymanians against virtually everything!
SIT! and be quiet Elio. Good boy Elio. Gimme da paw Elio. OK, roll over and play dead Elio. Atta boy Eellie.
12/06/2011 – 22:53 you can tell Mark to come and put it in your back yard then. Problem solved!
!CAVE I like it. The do nothing crowd springs into action once again !
You too, Bozo.
what a disasterous govt!
millions of dollars spent of chasing ghosts and shadows………
two and a half years later and still havent accomplished anything besides causing lawsuits unemployment, embarrassment, chase away investors and increase taxation
If an E-lection put them in, why dont we now try a D-lection to take them out??………(really wish there was such a process)
I am frustrated with the selfish limited district mentality found here. Each district is for themselves and have no interest in the rest of the country except for what they can get. It is easy to see they just a decade or 2 ago it was unsafe for people to travel outside of their district and I suspect that mentality still exists within some ignorant groups.
Hopefully education will teach a higher form of citizenship for the people of the Cayman Islands beyond that of Boddentown, East End or West Bay ect… Until that education developes real citizenship the districts will continue to argue and fight among themselves remaining small and petty.
Press on, Bodden Towners and defend your interests. This deal appears to benefit one entity only. The Wheelabrator proposal is entirely more sensible and better for the environment.
Government decisions being made, but are they made with the people's consent? What if the majority of Bodden Towners opposed such a move? Where does it state in the Constitution that "the people" of a district, during any time other than general election, may as well have power to veto a motion or bill from being passed or remove MLA's? And I am not talking about mere referendums!
If all goes well and we are around for the next election (the constitution will be our measuring stick), then and only then those MLAs who are Dart's staunch supporters will hang their heads, at the roll call. They were elected to office on their false promises to develop the district, not to bury it in garbage.
I hope when 2013 arrives they will be able to stand on the platform and face the people who they decieved and tell them what good they have done for Bodden Town. They are the government who has betrayed us and people, don't foregt it. Is that the best they can do for Bodden Town? We don't need stuffed envelopes, nor a rented car.
Sorry but there are those of us who knew that BEFORE the elections.
nonsense…according to you we might as well put every decision to a vote…because if the people don't like then it should not happen……zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
And I say why shouldn't every decision be put to a vote? Does Cayman belong to Mckeeva Bush alone? Does Cayman belong to Alden Mclaughlin alone? Does Cayman belong to Ezzard Miller alone? Does Cayman belong "solo" to the Queen? No, Cayman belongs to all the People who live, work, and call this place their home. A part of them, blood, sweat, and tears is mesh and interlock with these Beloved Islands. Most importantly, Cayman belongs to those who can take a walk and show you the old landmarks and tombstones of their grandparents, those who are born and raised here. Hence,my dear friend, it is the People per each district or constituency, who live, work, and call this place home that should have at least an ounce of political power to determine what policies and laws should be passed in their communities, on their doorsteps and backyards. Also, shouldn't the People have such political powers as to remove MLA's or politicians that are not representing them? The only reason I could think of as to why the powers-that-be, refuse to establish more direct democratic provisions in our Constitution, is because they are scare to do so! It would mean they will not be able to pull the strings of their puppets. The puppets will be taken out of their hands and that is a serious threat to their interest. They are so scared of a pure and direct democracy that they would prefer anyday, a British takeover or dictatorship. They love their interest so much that they would pay millions of dollars or do the sinister deed as to prevent a serious revamp of our Constitution. They are scare of losing power and sharing it! They do not even trust the People of these islands to defend themselves. The politicians would have no choice but bow their heads and administer the commands of the people as their loyal servants or ministers if more than 80% of the legislative powers were taken out of their hands. They know that and dread the thought of it! They would have no choice but to be speakers only of the House and each day one-on-one work with the people to sell their policies – and not ignore the people like they do now. There would be no local dictatorship, more accountability, and how can there possibly be political corruption like there is today when political power is not centralized into a few hands? I suggest you study and weigh the positive implications of a direct democracy versus representational democracy. One is directly from the people. The other is relying on a human being to represent you… all to find he or she is representing himself first and a special interest. No matter which party gets in, you will have that problem. Regards
Yes, unfortunately we do need to put every decision to vote, at least until we can elect a Government that can think and act and make rational decisions in the interests of our country and our people.
Any hope of "capping" and "remediating" the landfill on the Brac? Any chance of "state of the art, eco-waste management" for it?
Instead of wasting tons of our money on Hurricane Hiltons and private driveways and social aid so someone can get re-elected?
They even paved inside the cemetary. Mind you the cemetary is small and they put a road in it. The lot can't be no more than 100X100. That is the best one yet. I still don't get why they won't pave the South Side Road where the hotels, condos and guesthouses are. I guess the tourists can't vote so their needs are not important.
Speaking of dumps, the garbage all over the beaches is disgraceful. People are always complaining about it. They really need todo a regular clean up.
Sorry, we can't afford to clean up the beaches. We have to pay GLF for their not having enough money, and Mac and company are planning another world tour.
CNS, can you please confirm if the Dart deal is to CAP the landfill, simply covering the garbage and leaving it in the ground to leach into our ground water forever?
If so, how can this be better than REMEDIATING the dump as proposed, where the garbage is dug out and removed from affecting the groundwater?
It is hard to see how the Dart deal or the FOR CAYMAN ALLIANCE benefits the Caymanian people when compared to the other proposals.
Without getting into the pros and cons of the dump location, leaching of the present dump is almost entirely due to the percolation of rainwater through the approximately 60ft high pile. If it were capped, leaching would be restricted to a tiny fraction that is subject to the tidal rise and fall (typically 9 inches), further reduced by distance from the sea, only of that level lying very close to sea level, and also that level (being at the bottom and oldest) has been leached by years of percolation. Getting rid of 99% of the problem is surely better than continuing to accept 100% of it?
As for digging out the present landfill, that is a ten-year plus project, likely to cause huge odour problems, and possibly toxin release, for everywhere downwind.
Signed,
Truthseeker,
( a Bodden Town resident that thinks a solution needs to be found that is good for the entire island, forget the NIMBYism).
Plan is to remediate, cap and close … Win! Win! Win!
…and "remediate" means MOVE the dump. So for all of you out there saying the government/Dart is not going to "move" the dump, think again.
What do these people want? The benefits to Cayman have all be explained before. The new waste management facilty will have a minimum impact where ever its located. Bodden Town has the space and is central to the island.
I guess we should close our eyes and click our heels and say theres no place like home 3 times and the mountain of trash will be gone. Thats a cost effective and aesthetic solution. I guess we should all fight this until we get to keep Mount Thrashmore going for a few more decades.
By that time, tourists can just walk off the cruise ships onto the dump. There. Solved. No need for a cruise dock.
Have you heard of remediation?? That is what needs to be done and the site has been set up with some of the facilities already. So why is it so difficult to follow through on what is on site. There is enough acreage there for future use, but because Dart wants to enlarge his development and put the blinders over our eyes, we should sit silently and dont engage our brains. Hello, we are awake and our eyes are open, we are alive.
Money is the route of all evil, and the christian loves it. Is that hard to understand? That's why we are up for sale.
How many times has Dart said that they will remediate the old dump? A thousand times now? Jesus man. How many times do people need hear one thing before they can comprehend it? Its going to be beautiful public park. Grass, flowers, trees, picnic tables, running and cycling trails. Get the idea now?
All the gases that start the dump fires will be captured. The leaching can not be stopped completely short of digging the dump out completely, lining it with a barrier and putting the garbage back into the lined pit. That would stop the leaching dead but would cost tens of millions to do if not hundreds.
However, remediation wells can be drilled around the perimeter and the leaching can be monitored and contained using available technology. That would be the most cost effective option.
Especially if we bring in the extra hundred thousand people that McKeeva insists we need to collect work permit fees from in order to 'boost' our economy. God help us.
I say Bodden Town should keep their own garbage and dispose of it there. We don't want your garbage in GT.
Guess that means you will be keeping yours and disposing of it in your backyard or other centrally located 'virgin' piece of land.
That is exactly what we did before we had a dump… DUH!!
Da wa yuh get.
For your information, the garbage we have in Bodden Town is far superior to the one you have in GT.
It will be a shame if this small group of obstructionists are able to derail a project which is needed for the betterment of the entire country.
The obstructionists happens to be the UDP (under Dart's power). They are taking us down the same road as the TCI. They gave away crown lands to developers and are now paying the price for their poor administration and mismanagement.
The 'small' North Sound channeling proposal to completely destroy the entire North Sound in the interest of a few, was derailed, the fabulous 'seaport' (hole in the ground) in East End to destroy the entire eastern half of our island in the interest of a few was derailed, the award winning idea of an obnoxious oil refinery to destroy our entire island in the interest of a few was derailed, and we are still hoping to derail the UDP and the Bodden Town dump, all in the interest of and for the betterment of our entire country and our people.
Thank the Lord there is a groundswell of thousands of Caymanian "obstructionists' who are finally standing up against the blatant avarice and greed on display by a few businessmen.
21:38
But i see no diplay from those obstructionists, for a chance for the youth in this country. They are killing everthing just to stop the businesses from making money….that's the bottom line thinking of these Caymanians….crab-in- the barrell
the thumbs down to a such a true statement is very worrying……..
You are quite simply, an ID 10 T.
zzzzzzzzzz….goodnight cayman…….. the small town backward mentality will always win the day around here…..
We are not brain-washed, read, and you should be able to understand. The more you read, the better educated you will become in situations like this.
Let's dump the UDP. How about that?
When are we dumping them? Strat right now.
Big Mac has 2500 Facebook friends so nya nya nya nyaaaaa
I only accepted so I didn't lose my job.
nah me, Mac can keep his face and his book… I don't need him or his spies trolling all over my wall, comments or photos… only to one day use them against me when I need to confront him.
My best advice is to get this man off of your facebook. XXXX
you actually think McKeeva know how to use Facebook?
We have no where to put them that wouldn't create a serious environmental hazard.
14:31
Yea go ahead, then we will be totally F@@@
Are you saying we're only partially F@@@ at present. That's very encouraging. Wish we could believe you.