Activists angry as MLAs ignore dump concerns
(CNS): Despite promises from the district representatives to discuss the relocation of the landfill to Bodden Town activists opposing the move were angry this week that the MLAs could not find time to meet them before the New Year. The Coalition to Keep Bodden Town Dump Free said that back in August the Mark Scotland and Dwayne Seymour had pledged to hold more meetings in Bodden Town to discuss the issue but this has not happened. Annoyed that the MLAS both found time to appear on TV to defend the move but not to meet the concerned residents a spokesperson for the coalition said the people could no longer trust their representatives.
“During the last election campaign Bodden Town was promised economic development and greater consultation by government,” said Vincent Frederick. “What they’re delivering is a garbage dump which will block economic growth and no consultation at all.”
The coalition is opposing a proposed move by the government, as part of the ForCayman Investment Alliance, which will see the closure of the existing landfill in George Town and the development of what it has described as a modern waste-management facility in Midland Acres on land owned by the Dart Group.
The coalition is concerned that there has been no consultation with the local community or any analysis and reports put forward about the proposal. Scotland and Seymour had extended an invitation to meet the group on 30 November which was accepted by the coalition but it says the MLAs won’t fix a date despite finding time to go on TV.
“Instead of meeting their constituents and facing their anger, they chose to respond to the growing opposition to a garbage dump in BT by appearing on CITN on 12 December,” the coalition said this week.
“They repeated, albeit apologetically, that they intend on moving the dump despite their constituents concerns, while admitting that convincing people in the area to accept the change is not easy.”
The coalition said there has still been no explanation why government reneged on the deal to build a waste-to-energy facility on the present site which would have cleaned up Mount Trashmore, and produced free electricity. Nor, they say, have concerns about traffic levels on the district been addressed. Frederick said there was still no explanation on why the Midland Acres site was chosen and no assessment of the consequences on the residents of Bodden Town.
“How can we trust any elected representative who ignores our concerns, and ignores the already critical level of truck traffic passing along the main road through Bodden Town?”asked Frederick. He said that at the August meeting Mark Scotland had claimed that the relocation would lead to an increase of200 vehicle trips per day’ which would mean 400 more trucks given the return trip but the minister has said there was still no reason for additional roads.
The coalition said it hopes Seymour and Scotland to consider how moving the dump so far from the source of the waste, and adding to the already critical level of truck traffic, will damage the district they represent and destroy the community’s way of life and have answers to their many questions, when and if, they finally meet in the New Year.
Category: Politics
400 truck movements per day over 10 hours is
1 TRUCK EVERY 1.5 MINUTE ! ! !
Guess which politicians gain personally from that dump ?
And he will continue to benefit with the new purposed back road for the trucks in BT.
No consideration for its people. I feel it for the Midland Acres residents. 🙁
Bodden Towners keep up the fight!
You get what you vote for. You vote for the worst you get the worst.
I'm opening a cheese store in Bodden Town. Should complement all that whine quite nicely.
So Dart doesn't want it in his backyard (the ultimate NIMBY), and the best you can come up with is that Bodden Towners who have concerns are whiners?
I am actually in favour of this project, but only IF
the access road is created to allow the trucks to bypass BoddenTown central
There is some reasonable guarantee that the facility will be managed properly
The marl trucks have been driving through Bodden Town ever since time was and I haven't heard any complaints.
I agree the new land fill site is a good idea and suitable infastructure should be part of the deal.
Bodden Towners, dis what kinda joker MLAs enneh gets when enneh "wote straight"
all UDP are accomplices to McKeeva — who unna didnt vote for ….and McKeeva has other interests than BT
A Quick Images jingle springs to mind.
Did Bodden Towners REALLY think they woud get anything more than two "monkey see, Monkey do" representatives when they elected Dwayne Seymour and Mark Scotland????? Come on people…..you got what you voted for……they were out for themselves before you all voted them in and you really think that will ever change?????? Make sure you don't vote the same mistakes in the next election….just like West Bay…..SHAME
MLAs should be representing their constituency – not a party or an elite individual! Note there is nothing found in our constitution that gives people the power to recall or remove an MLA from office, during his/her 4-year tenure. That is unbelievable, sets us up for a dictatorship, and just shows why the MLAs feel so entitle to do as they like in office. That should never be.
Lib, I know this was brought up years ago, and during Mark and Dwayne's campaign, I understood they oppose the suggestion of spreading the garbage to Bodden Town. I now know why they opposed it. It was not because they care for the Bodden Town people. It was all because they wanted to get into the LA. XXXX Still Bodden Towners did not oppose them hard enough. Bodden Towners watched as one of these men became a target of an investigation of assault. No one asked or matched for his resignation. Bodden Towners were too laid back. They should have voted in an Independent. They should have made their consciences led them and not a party. Now you see what has happened.
I disagree with you. I think the MLAs has B.T.s best interest at heart. Scottland has worked hard in the Shetty negotiations. You can't expect these men to do gymnastics for the district and please everyone. It is people like you that is against progress. Everytime something good is happening, you guys want to cry foul.
Scotland worked hard during Shetty negotiations…that deal is NOT in best interests of the Cayman Islands, including BTers!
cppicayman.com!
It’s obvious that they reneged on the Georgetown Waste to Energy facility because they simply couldn’t afford it and if you think it wasn’t going to cost anything or truly believe that it would have created Free Electricity you must be crazy.
The reason this whole Dart thing is going to happen is because he’s going to pay for building the infrastructure for the new facility as well bare the cost of dealing with the Georgetown dump which is the biggest eyesore on the island and both are things that Cayman just cannot afford to do themselves.
So go ahead BT’ers and cry foul, you had no problem dumping your garbage in Georgetown all these years so sorry but now it’s your turn at bat.
Your MLA’s clearly understand that this is needed for the benefit of all of Cayman and are not about to play the NIMBY game with you guys.
Yeah Yeah Yeah it’ll effect the environment. It affects the environment every time you flush your toilet or start your Car do you minimize these things, do you currently recycle you trash? And when you cleared that land to build your Home it also effected the environment.
Human Beings always effect the environment just with their presence, the best people can do is to minimize it as much as possible…
The biggest eyesore in Cayman is Mac!
We're all still waiting for any printed, published, public reference by anyone directly representing the Dart group that they will 'clean up' the GT dump. Their way of 'dealing with it' is to cap it and ignore it. Thats two different things and people shouldn't be confused between them. – If you're fine with 'capping' then so be it. But if you think 'dealing with ' is the same as 'cleaning up' you need to double-check the proposals.
The answer to the question on the WTE plant is you can't use the garbage that's in Mt Trashmore for WTE without extensive sorting and de-contamination.
This was a non-starter from day one. WTE is fine if you start from scratch but digging up a landfill site full of unsorted waste that's been there for years doesn't produce the fuel you need unless it's coupled to an expensive pre-processing system.
There seems to be a mis-conception, and this goes back to the previous administration, that WTE involves simply throwing tons of garbage onto a big fire and producing electricity – it isn't that simple.
Both of them are jokers…….
Dear Bodden Towners please dont feel bad you voted for this and will have the opportunity to exercise your displeasure again shortly. So when you get to that voting booth think hard because DART probably owns it and you too. Why should government honour your right when you always settle for privelleges? Enjoy your dump guys!
You're not being ignored, you're just losing the argument.
They are gauranteed losing their seat. How about that? The voters/residents are speaking.
Yes they are being ignored! Seems as if Dart has ALL politicians in their pocket.If elected officials will not meet with the people that elected them and listen the their concerns they definatly are NOT doing the job they were elected to do.It doesn't matter what the elected official thinks it is his responsibility to carry out the wishes of the people who elected him! If the elected officials think this is good for Bodden Town should they not at least meet with the people of BT and explain why such is good and if the people of BT are against it shouldn't they listen to why?
Bow down and kiss the ring of Dart they are controlling Cayman.
Hey folks it would be really nice for everyone to know who negotiated the sale and the real reason behind it and then the deal would be understood so sit back and relax or fight harder.
Can England be called in since no Government officials cares??? Bodden Towners check it out fast and Mr Frederick don't stop.
Stand up for what you believe in.