Dump consultants begin work

| 20/11/2014

(CNS): The global consultant firm awarded the $0.5 million contract to shape government’s national waste management policy, make the outline business case and then assist in the procurement of contractors has begun work this week. Officials said that Phil Scott from AMEC, which won the competitive bid as the lowest priced and most technically able firm, has been in Cayman examining the current situation and beginning the assessment. His firm will guide government in its selection of the most suitable management solution to reduce the George Town dump and create a modern waste system for the future. Officials said the waste-management project should be ready for tender within twelve months.

The latest updates in the long-awaited George Town dump saga were revealed at a government press briefing Thursday, when Osbourne Bodden, the minister with responsibility for environmental health said government was well on the way to finding the solution to its waste-management problem. Well aware of the criticisms he has faced, Bodden said the government was committed to doing things properly this time. Had it gone headlong into a random solution, he said, it would have been throwing good money after bad. However, the minister said he was determined to get this right.

As AMEC begins its work on helping shape the national waste strategy, the chief officer in the ministry responsible for the dump, Jennifer Ahearn, said that there would be a public consultation period in the New Year to collect the input of the community before the policy was formulated.

The preferred method for tackling the management of the country’s waste going forward should be completed by the middle of next year. Then the consultants will work with government on the outline business case required under the Public Management Finance Law to justify what will be a significant cost. Once that is complete, AMEC will assist with the procurement process to find the most suitable contractor, or multiple contractors, depending on how government chooses to approach the future ofwaste management.

Whatever the end solution, it will include re-use and recycling composting and waste-reduction strategies with the goal of minimising rubbish for the landfill.

AMEC specialises in finding solutions to waste-management problems and its job now is to find and recommend the best most suitable, sustainable and cost-effective solutions for Cayman’s waste. It will not be involved in the actual waste-management but will help with the government’s tendering process to find the most appropriate experts to deal with the physical remediation of the George Town landfill, a.k.a. Mount Trashmore, as well as the landfills on the Sister Islands.

Although the minister said that he did not expect to see a fully operational waste management system until towards the end of 2017, going into the next administration, Bodden said work would begin well before the end of this government’s term. Even before the full procurement process is completed, government could begin work on creating composting and recycling centres.

The minister confirmed that while he was still committed to not moving the dump and that any landfill arrangements would be at the current George Town site, new elements of the system, such as a recycling depot or a composting centre for organic waste, may be located in other places.

Noting how outdated Cayman’s current system is, Scott from AMEC saidit was some 30 years behind the UK in terms of re-use and recycling and he made it clear that a future sustainable system in Cayman would require people to separate waste.

He said that as consultants they would be examining the practicalities of curb-side collection and drop-off centres for the separated garbage, but he also spoke about the need for an awareness and education campaign on waste reduction and to assess what commercial value, given the economies of scale there could be in waste. Scott said that in future residents would be separating their waste and recycling, glass, card, plastic and organic waste on top of the aluminium cans, which are the only things recycled by government at present.

With the project moving on to the nest stage, the minister said that it was a long and complex process. But he said it had started well and with AMEC now getting down to work there was "no turning back”.

Bodden said he believed it would be a PPM government again at the helm in 2017, but whoever held the reins of power in May 2017 would not be able to discontinue the work, he said.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Not knocking this effort for now – But I'll believe it when I see them mining out that heap of filth and converting what waste that cannot be recycled, to energy.

    Without mining out the heap and properly lining the base, the deadly ooze from the waste will continue to destroy the marine life and more dreadfully, be continued to be pumped up and fed into our fresh water supply.  Cancer will continue to devastate the people of this Island.

    Have you noticed how respiratory illness, sinus problems and "allergies" have skyrocketed in the last 10 years or so?  Let no one fool you with fancy talk – The dust and other airborne particles coming off the dump are carrying viruses, irritants and other pathogens right into our homes and our bodies.

    • Anonymous says:

      Amazing how things can get done when you take out the " what's in it for me and my boys" expectation.

      thank you PPM for returning honesty to running the country.

  2. the haranguer says:

    God I am going to move to Bodded Town just so I can vote Bodden out.

  3. Impressive company says:

    Having watched the Minister and the Ahern lady on CIGTV list the credentials and accomplishments of AMEC with all of their experience in island nations, no one could ever argue AMEC is not the right company to get this job, DONE. 

    BIG, BIG difference from that shadow company that McKeeva and Mark Scotland paraded around just so DART and his puppets could push the problem further away from his land. 

    • Anonymous says:

      6:56, you are really DUMB.

    • Anonymous says:

      Yep what a fool Bush was to try and save the country money, while Alden and his boys have it right. I'm sure it will be worth every penny of the 100 Million dollars it will cost us all to Keep Bodden Town Dump Free..

  4. Dreadlock Holmes says:

    And I was always under the impression we elected people to solve these problems. And then implement policy. Now it seems that's not the case. We pay them to hire other people. So….why are they there? If they can't do the job?

    Hiring "consultants" is just another method to delay the time when they have to actually do something. At $12000/mo. each CI that's clever! Why don't we skip the election and hire the consultants ourselves? 

    It would save time. And money.

  5. Anonymous says:

    The only way CIG can get anyone to work on this is to hire someone who is not CIG to do it.  What does that tell you?

  6. Anonymous says:

    Yet another commission and another Study like all governments did from the 1990's .. if we had spent all that money we did on so-call studdies on the dump I would say we would not have any DUMP problem today. I am sure money spent thus far is in the MILLIONS of dollars . Juts saying

    • Anonymous says:

      This man is a donkey and must go! Ossie and Tara are rubbish as ppm ministers 

  7. Anonymous says:

    Not in Bodden Town.

    Problem solved.

    • Anonymous says:

      Don't keep voting for idiots who have proven only that they can not get anything that takes any kind of work……..accomplished, finished, done, in a timely manner and with a high degree of quality.  Problem solved.

    • Anonymous says:

      In Bodden Town.  Problem solved in the best way.

    • Anonymous says:

      15:59, At the end of this term in Office, Osbourne Boodden will be able to tell the residents of Bodden Town that he accomplished one thing whilst we paid him CI$10K+ per month, another report. What a waste of money, both for the report and that paid to Bodden.

      A Leader gets the job done, and is this instance, a job that has already had 20 reports. He clearly has no idea what he is doing if he cannot find a soution from what has previouly been told an provided to Government on numerous occasions.

      He' not a Leader, he is a Muppet.

  8. Anonymous says:

    So my question to you all is what are YOU all doing to reduce your garbage? I seperate all glass, aluminum cans, plastics and batteries and take them to recycling. We have reduced our garbage to barely a bag each week! Try it people, its not that hard. If you're doing your part and still complaining then that's one thing, but if you're not? Then shut up!

     

  9. Anonymous says:

    Here is my 10 cents worth.  Move it to Bodden Town.  It is the best plan. 

    That would save CIG $499,999.90.

    • Anonymous says:

      correction  … NO ONE wants to "move it " to Bodden Town

      there was a NEW proper facility planned in Midland !!

      • the voice says:

        No There wasnt. The facility planned was two (out of six required) lined pits to be built. Government would have to then build the other 4, implement recycling and invest in waste to energy. The BT Solution was incomplete and not a real solution!

        • Anonymous says:

          Are you for real it was Free and was intended to be a start, it also included remediating the GT Dump in total it would have saved us over 60 Million dollars. And all the CIG would have to do is start a properly managed recyling program. The 2 Pits being built were more than enought to start, 6 were not required, there was room to expand to six. They were going to build two works buildings as part of the offer as well.

          You must be one of those Bodden Townians who only care about thier own district and prefer to dump your trash in George Town, No Matter how many lies your spread or twist the truth, people know that is was a great opportinity we missed out on.

          Anyway the Dart deal is dead any probably not coming back, so it jsut put your faith in Bodden and see where that get you.

  10. Anonymous says:

    ozzie…the rubbish minister…….

    only in cayman……zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

    • Anonymous says:

      You must have sleeping a Looonnngggg time.  The previous UDP administration could almost field a full football team lineup of RUBBISH MINISTERS!!!!

    • Anonymous says:

      To 21:11 Rubbish sure knows rubbish.  Think about that.  What are you?

  11. Anonymous says:

    1. Ask the consultants to create a two-phase report. The first would focus on how to start the recycling separation process immediately, and the second part on how to deal with the existing dump issues.

    2. Find a location to stockpile the recycling material that will eventually be entered into the approved process.

    3. Hold accountable the elected officials for completion as promised.

  12. Knot S Smart says:

    Dont worry folks – Ozzie is going to fix the dump…

  13. Anonymous says:

    Your logic is lost on me.

    They told everyone that they had no intenttion to give it to the Dart plan.

    So if you voted for them that was a given.

    How do you think the Bodden Town PPM members got in?

    • Too funny says:

      They did say, No dump in Bodden Town, but they also said they had a plan (at least Ossie said that three months after theelection at a meeting at Mary Miller Hall that I attended).

      The truth is, they had no plan and they still don't. They only have a plan to hire someone to make  a recommendation for a plan, which they now say can't be implemented for least two more years and can't be completed until more than three years down the line.

      Bottom line:They lied for poltical advantage.

  14. Anonymous says:

    I don't think you voted for any of them last time either. Big deal. 

    • Anonymous says:

      sounds like a Mackite!

       

      …………probably has a new fridge and everything!

  15. C'mon Now! says:



    Please help us! Something has happened, Mt. Trashmore is clearly much higher than it was 20 years ago.

    • Anonymous says:

      The population has increased x 3

      • Anonymous says:

        all dem expat trash!

        • Anonymous says:



          17:25, You are a complete moron, were you around for the event known as "Ivan"? That's when the dump trebled in size. And yes, expats helped to clean up our Island whilst you were probably doing nothig and looking for a handout.

  16. Anonymous says:

    The minister said " he was determined to get this right" and he confirmed "he was still committed to not moving the dump".  Really??  All he cares about is ensuring the dump doesn't end up in his own district….

    Whatever solution is finally put forward, it CAN NOT remain in GT.  How can we possibly keep dumping our garbage so close to our #1 toursit spot, SMB???

    I for one will not be voting for anyone who does not commit to moving the dump from the current site.  I would hazard a guess that the vast mojority of GT voters will do the same….

     

    • Anonymous says:

      You know, until the voters of George Town decide that the dump is the ONE issue that really matters, then the problem will never be solved. The six seats in George Town represent the strongest clout on the island. George Town voters could force the issue, but instead, they've been too caught up in petty politics.  If more people think like you, something will happen, but not until then.

  17. Anonymous says:

    i will note vote for any PPM member next election, the dump issue would be solved by now had they given it to Dart!!!!

    • Anonymous says:

      13.07..just out of pure Friday afternoon interest, what is a "note vote"? Are you going to sing out your choice of candidate and hope that gets them elected? Pray, do tell, for I am intrigued. You may well have founded a new voting system.

    • Anonymous says:

      Except that Dart did not win the contract.  They came bottom of the list of tenders.  It was your mr bush who literally "gave" it to Dart.  I know Dart would have acted fast but should they have been given the contract in contravention of the tendering process.

      • Anonymous says:

        Who cares, if DART had gone ahead it would have been dealt with by now. Now beacuse of another report, it will not be dealt with until 20????????

      • Anonymous says:

        Stop confusing the two, the contract that Dart put in duringthe tender was not the same as their offer to fix this issue for free. He wasn't giving Dart a contract he was giving Dart our problems to fix out of his own pocket. What other deal was better than that.

        • Anonymous says:

          Is this the same pocket that the government credit card was kept stored?

    • haranguer rides again. says:

      One hundred percent.

  18. Kadafe says:

    Good year for consultants courtesy of CI Gov

    • Anonymous says:

      Wouldn't you be questioning the capability of whoever went ahead on their own to manage the dump?  First thing that would be said, 'what does he know about waste management'.  Bed amen if you do and be damn if you don't.  You people are so hypocritical.  We are only hoping for a solution to the problem. 

      Rome wasn't built in a day.  Trust that the problem will be dealt with and there will be a final solution to itt.

      My suggestion is that we start sorting our garbage now and not later, so when the time comes that we must sort, we will be well on our way and know exactly how to do it.

  19. Anonymous says:

    I would like to see transparency in exactly what limitations the government applied to the tender agreement in terms of using only the current site.

    The politics of this issue cannot be denied and can adversely impact a successful and cost effective solution to the country's waste disaster.

  20. Anonymous says:

    For anyone still paying attention:

    The government commissioned "several" studies in the 1990s and 2000s on the dump and then failed to implement any of the recommendations following which….nothing happened.

    in 2007 consultants Gershman, Brickner & Bratton were commissioned to provide a report on the dump at an unkown cost to the Islands.  Then nothing happened. 

    In 2010 the government asked for proposals to implement a solution.  That eventually led to a successful bidder called Wheelabrator winning the multi-million dollar contract at the end of 2010. At the time Juliana O'Connor-Airmiles said "We are certainly looking forward to move ahead on this important and long-awaited project. I thank everyone involved for making it happen". Then nothing happened (the government started making excuses like the appointment of Wheelabrator "was merely the first step on a road to a complex solution").

    McKeeva Bush then unilaterally cancelled the appointment and opened negoatiations with Dart (which came last in the tender process) in apparent violation of the tenders rules and basic rules of contract.  Wheelabrator naturally sued the CIG in a case that took a number of bizarre turns and presumably cost additional millions. Meanwhile nothing happened at the dump (other than frequent fires and the continued leaching of heavy metals into North Sound).

    Then nothing happened for a bit longer (apart from some political grandstanding about Bodden town).

    Now it is 2014 – 20 years and tens of millions of dollars since the first consultant's report- and apparently we are still at square one, with new consultants to be followed by a new bidding process to be followed by a new appointment to be followed by god-knows-what.

    Meanwhile at the dump NOTHING HAS HAPPENED.

    If you want a more striking example of the utter utter uselessness of the Cayman Islands government at anything other than grandstanding and appointing consultants you could probably find some, but not many.

    You could literally have appointed the stingrays from the Sandbar to handle the dump project and the only difference would have been that they would have spent less money..

    • Anonymous says:

      We need a Comission of Comissions, but who is going to comission that?

      • Anonymous says:

        It will be commissioned at the plannery………. where plans are planned.

      • Anonymous says:

        We could get E&Y to do a report and then have Alden ignore it.

        • Anonymous says:

          Or you could have a local lawyer look at it.  After all apparently accountancy firms are experts in education!  Or you could have the inspectors who are inspecting look on island at the moment look at it.  They woukd have as much knowlesge of how to sort Mount Trashmore as they do of state schools.  Sure why not.  

      • Anonymous says:

        If you want to waste a lot of money, then call a commission a "Royal Commission".

        Oooohhhhhh, Aaaahhhhh. Everyone goes ga-ga when they hear the word "Royal".

        All of the consultant rates double or triple and the lenght of time to produce the report takes years and years and by the time the report is tabled, everyone has forgotten what all the fuss was about.

        Bottom line? The rich get richer and the people continue to suffer.

  21. WillYaListen! says:

    What a wste of time. Their report will be rubbish.

  22. Alice says:

    Finally real progress.  This is by far the closest we have come to getting this vexed matter resolved in decades. What we are doing now is simple – we are getting someone to advise us what is the best solution for us.  Instead of dreaming up some ridiculous pipe dream.  Think clearly. Would we build a house without well thought out plans?  While the answer is obviously no. That is what previous governments have been trying to do and that's why they failed.  The PPM has got this right.  Wait and see. 

    • C'mon Now! says:

      C'mon Now! Deh got about 8 plans in the desk drawer.  CIG should redistrict and rename the small section of Boddenland where the dump was going to go and call it George Town!  Then Ozzie can keep his silly promise.

      • Anonymous says:

        BoddenTown is the dumping ground for whatever is not wanted in the otherdistricts.  The best land was utilized for the Prison by the hero, then the dump was being pushed into the most easterly section of Bodden Town to please the Almighty Developer.  Stop the madness!  When the northeast trade winds blow what would we have had in Bodden Town?  

        Greed by certain individuals will always be the downfall of any country.  What is passed under the table isn't seen visibly, now we have a clear process, let's see how it works.  We are always ready to criticize before a project gets off the ground, yet so many before tried but never got ahead of themselves.  We need something to happen fast,  

        In order for the process to work,  the mindset of our people has to change, as well as the management.  It is time for inspections to be carried out island wide.  Come out of the ivory palaces, A/C offices and hit the ground running.  Then you will see the areas that need urgent attention.

      • Anonymous says:

        "Deh got about 8 plans in the desk drawer."

        Hmmmm, I think not. I suspect all of the previous plans to fix Mt. Trashmore are, in fact, in Mt. Trashmore.

    • Anonymous says:

      Ah bless Alice.  Have tou not being paying attention to the litany of reports over a 20 year period?  They were considered.  I fuess it might be an idea foe you to axtually read an earlier post which outlines the history and lomg list of proposals before you comment.

  23. Anonymous says:

    Haven't we already been through this process?  I thought we already paid consultants to examine the situation and make some recommendations, and gone through the tender process and even selected a successful tenderer (wheelabrator I think they were called).  Then the whole thing got McKeeva'd when he tried to unilaterally award the contract to some "friends of his". 

    At $500,000 and 12 months it sounds like the new consultants are starting at square one again.  Couldn't they reuse some of the previous consultants work even if they disagree with their findings?  If not why not? Can we get our money back from the last consultants if their work is useless? Or were they "frends of MB" as well?

    How much time and money has been spent on this issue already with absolutely nothing to show for it?  How much more will it take before someone actually goes to the dump with a shovel and does something?

    • Anonymous says:

      This and previous administrations have and continue to spend millions on consultants despite their supposed lack of money.  The majority of reports end up gathering dust.  I fail to understand why the people of this country are not on the streets marching on government building demanding action.  There appears to be no grass roots cohesive force on this island that will unite its people for the common good.  Instead we have incompetent and/or corrupt leaders whose main aim is either to line their own pockets, line the pockets of friends and ensure their famiy members are taken care of and a nation that appears unable to stop them.  The problem lies within each and every one of us because we fear the ruling families, who basically have this island sown up, and their ability to materially affect our ability to earn a living.  Or are we just lazy?  

  24. Anonymous says:

    The waste is not in hiring an outside consultant. That is prettty much required because there's probably no one in the DEH (the department responsible) with the knowledge and skills to prepare a proper advisory document and draft a viable policy. The real waste is in doing this exercise over and over again! We know what has to be done, let's just do it!!

    • Anonymous says:

      Everyone seems to know what the answer is to our waste management.  Can someone please tell me because I don't know.  Can't wait to hear the solution from our dump experts on CNS. 

      • Anonymous says:

        The adverse comments are in relation to the commissioning of report after report and then doing nothing about it.  

  25. Anonymous says:

    back to square 1….thank you ppm……

    • Anonymous says:

      Star sorting your garbage now and you should be up to speed when it will be meaningful.  We know how to be critical, with no constructive alternatives.

  26. Anonymous says:

    this gov't –all they do is hire outside help — I agree with RP — they have no backbone

    • Anonymous says:

      No intelligence to read the myriad previous studies that we paid for.  Short memories here.

  27. Anonymous says:

    The Recycling Center on dump road is open daily except sundays.

    You can recycle your batterys, air conditioners, ewaste and a variety of other items.

    Over the last 5 years the recycling centre has shipped over 5 million pounds of material off of Cayman

    and have directly injected over 3 million $ into the local economy.

    We Buy Scrap Metal. Hope to see you soon. 

    • Anonymous says:

      That is a great service in the near future, what we need however is a modern system with recycle bins in every household and regular pickups. It will take a lot of public education but soon between recycling and composting there will be very little refuse that ends up in the landfill.

      • Anonymous says:

        Many people come from countries which may now have recycling pick ups, but quite a lot of those began with people dropping off their recycling first.  We already can recycle glass, cans and plastics (unfortunately not paper yet) at a number of locations.  If people are not already recycling they are contributing to the problem.  Just as has happened in other countries we could all be making a difference right now instead of just waiting for someone to do it all for us.  Be part of the solution and not the problem.

  28. Anonymous says:

    Sad that nobody in government is capable of deciding what to do with the garbage. 

     

  29. Anonymous says:

    Seriously people, stop wasting money and just fix the f#@*&g dump!!!

  30. Anonymous says:

    Osbourne and PPM are not happy unless they are spending money on more reports and forming committees 

  31. Anonymous says:

    Why do we pay DEH management if third parties are contracted to design new strategies for implementation and do the job?

    • Anonymous says:

      Get rid of the set warmers in the DOH.  When have you seen the management?  Just useless.

  32. Anonymous says:

    Resign now Ossie!

  33. Anonymous says:

    PPM is rubbish and continue to waste money on garbage reports telling the country things that have been known for 2 decades. Hiring consultants to produce another report is not progressive.

    • Anonymous says:

      Burying your head in the rubbish pile and acting like you know all the answers is helluva lot less progressive. Just sayin.

  34. RP says:

    did I read this article correctly?  Did our govt just hire a third party to make decisions on their behalf.  Why did we elect these guys if they lack solutions and delegate decision making?  

    • Anonymous says:

      Don't knock it. Decisions likely to be of much better quality, and the politicos can blame someone else for unpopular decisions.

    • Anonymous says:

      Your comments would only make sense if we had someone in government with the specialist knowledge required to deal with this matter; but we don't, so government has done the wise thing and delegated the work to someone with the necessary expertise.  If you knew how much time and effort has gone ino making sure that the right solution is found this time, then you would be applauding government's efforts, not condemning them.  Sometimes a dose of good sense is required – something that has been sorely lacking in previous administrations.

      • Anonymous says:

        Yes but you can understand where comments are coming from.  May in this case it is the right thing to do, but so often outside expertise is un ecessary because they have it to hand.

    • Anonymous says:

      Simple.  Because everyone on this island is afraid of making mistakes so therefore no decisions are made.  Blame the foreigner is the game.

    • Anonymous says:

      Clearly you didn't read it at all! And if you don't like proper process and good planning just think back to the 2009 to mid 2013 period and tell us how that worked out for you!

    • Anonymous says:

      I don't know how you came to that conclusion from reading this article seemingly overlooking what it says in a number of places:

      "His firm will guide government in its selection of the most suitable management solution to reduce the George Town dump and create a modern waste system for the future".

      "Once that is complete AMEC will also assist with the procurement process to find the most suitable contractor or multiple contractors depending on how government chooses to approach the future of waste management".

      "AMEC specialises in finding solutions to waste-management problems and its job now is to find and recommend the best most suitable, sustainable and cost effective solutions for Cayman’s waste".

      A part of effective leadership is knowing your own limitations and surrounding yourself with persons with the relevant expertise. We've had enough of politicians while acknowledging that they are not experts in the field, ignoring the advice technocrats and trying to make decisions in a vacuum with disastrous results. Cohen loan, anyone?    

      • C'mon Now! says:

        Don't knowkit, the Cohen loan was a very good deal for certain parties!

        • Anonymous says:

          And Cohen did provide excellent private jet facilities for people who were not gambling on casinos in the Bahamas.

        • Anonymous says:

          Just not CIG whom it was supposed to benefit.

      • Anonymous says:

        One of our experts on the dump problem, was one who was in charge of it for years.  What did he do when he was there?  If he had an solution he should've used it while he was employed.  So many added to the problem that we have to sort out now, yet they have the right solution.  

         

      • Anonymous says:

        You are so right but how come they surround themselves with experts in education and then do not pay a blind bit of notice to them.  In fact the CIG government, or perhaps I should say the Minister of Education, has deliberately set about excluding everyone on island in the inspection process.  The inspectors, doing their base line study, don't even talk to us.

    • Anonymous says:

      The government wouldnt have the engineering and scientific background for this specialized project, which is why external experts are brought in. 

    • Anonymous says:

      The decision is a poisoned challice, whatever they decide will be upsetting someone. Thats why it is necessary to bring outside experts in

    • Anonymous says:

      If you have to ask.

    • Anonymous says:

      Would you want a carpenter to fix the dump.  Mentality, sick people.

    • Anonymous says:

      I am going to vote for the person who promises not to commission any further reportd for Four years.  That person will have to promise to take all previous reports, no matter what issue they were addressing, and come up with solutions that are a best fit for this island.  There you go potential candidates.  Take this on board and you might actually get elected.

  35. Anonymous says:

    I and others are recycling plastics at present not just aluminum cans. I think it is Winston Connolly's firm that is doing it. All power to them.

    • Anonymous says:

      When is recycling going to start?  Why not introduce it now and get things moving in the right direction.

    • Anonymous says:

      When did Mr. Connolly start his firm? After he was elected or before? Answer that and you will know what is going on in the upper echelon of our beautiful society.