BT’s would-be MLAs reject Dart proposal
(CNS): The proposal by Dart to relocate the landfill to Bodden Town is looking increasingly less likely to become a reality anytime soon as it has failed to gain the support of the district candidates running for office in the 2013 general election. Even Mark Scotland, the former UDP government member and latterly a PNA candidate who had promoted the proposal as a viable solution to the country's waste-management problem, distanced himself from the idea at a Chamber of Commerce political forum last week. During the second debate in the district, Scotland said there was still no money to deal with the waste-management problem in George Town but the Dart idea was never anything more than a possible solution.
Meanwhile, Osbourne Bodden, running with the PPM, and the two independent candidates, Vincent Frederick and Arnold Berry, who appeared on last Thursday's panel, all stated their opposition to the proposal, which was greeted with loud applause.
There was no doubt that the small audience attending the Chamber forum in the district on Thursday was opposed to the relocation of the landfill to Bodden Town, and with few of the district candidates campaigning for office offering any support for a waste-management facility in the district, the local developer is losing what political support he had for the proposal.
The islands' largest single investor had proposed, as part of the wider ForCayman Investment Alliance, a land swap with government that would see the current George Town dump closed and handed over to Dart, who would cap and remediate the existing giant pile of trash. In exchange, the developer had proposed giving government land it owns in Midland Acres, where it agreed to build a new lined landfill on a site large enough for government to eventually develop a modern waste-management park.
The proposal met with widespread community objection from the start, and despite the recent publication of the Environmental Impact Assessment, the project is failing to attract the necessary political support it will need, with candidates recognizing the proposal as an election loser.
Arnold Berry was the first of the candidates to speak on the issue and revealed his opposition to the plan. He said there was sufficient land at the George Town site to clean it up and manage the dump where it is. He said the situation could and had to be dealt with at the current location but because of a failure in leadership the problem had not been solved. Berry also pointed to numerous reports on how to tackle the issue, which he said were gathering dust on the shelves of government offices.
Progressive candidates Wayne Panton and Al Suckoo, who appeared at the Chamber forum in the district earlier in the week, had already stated their and the wider party's opposition to the proposal and the aim of the PPM to deal with the dump at its current location. Osbourne Bodden, who is also running on the PPM ticket, echoed their sentiments. Bodden, who held a seat in the district between 2005-09 but lost that seat by a few dozen votes in 2009,pointed to the Central Tenders Committee's rejection of the Dart proposal during a legitimate request for proposals preocess, which was issued during the early part of the UDP administration.
He said the awarding of a contract to a company which was then overturned as a result of the Dart proposal “spoke to corruption of the last administration”, Bodden added, as he accused the UDP of failing the country and the people when it failed to find a solution to the waste-management problem, despite the well-established cross party support for a waste-to-energy solution.
Vincent Frederick, one of the original founders of the Coalition to Keep Bodden Town Dump Free, a local activist group formed to campaign against the proposal who is now running for office as an independent, said he had always opposed the proposal and still did. Acknowledging that the waste-management situation needed a solution, he said it could not be at the expense of the people of Bodden Town. He said the only dumping that would happen in the district was the dumping of the former UDP representatives.
Although now running on the People's National Alliance ticket, a new group formed in the wake of the UDP split when the current interim government members joined forces with the opposition and ousted the premier from office, Mark Scotland had been a supporter of the proposal. However, in recent weeks, he has distanced himself from the idea.
At a recent press briefing, his district running mate and interim Cabinet member Dwayne Seymour accused the former premier of throwing him and the other former UDP members under the bus on the BT landfill proposal and declared his opposition to the idea. Scotland has stopped short of declaring his total opposition to the project, but on Thursday evening he spoke about the plan as nothing more thana possible solution to an expensive problem.
He said that the UDP government had proposed to do a study and consult with the people before any decisions were made. He said that the George Town landfill remained the country's main environmental problem, and with a price tag of some $100 million, the next administration would still struggle to find the money to deal with it on site. Scotland said the Dart proposal was a possible solution that the country could afford now. The environment minister said the issue had to be dealt with sooner rather than later and the next administration would be faced with the same financial difficulties that plagued the last government.
If the next government returns to the waste-to-energy plan, as originally agreed by a cross-party committee during the previous PPM administration, another RFP will need to be circulated. When a firm is selected, the existing landfill will be mined for material suitable for incineration parallel to the development of a recycling programme and turning newly generated waste into energy, which CUC has guaranteed to purchase as part of its licensing agreement
This will place further development at Camana Bay in jeopardy as the Dart group has made it clear that it is reluctant to build out the main residential phase of the community while the landfill is being mined or while it remains in its current state. The developer had tied the proposal to on-going development and agreed to begin the build out at Camana Bay once the dump issue was resolved.
Category: Politics
There is no east-west arteriel highway being built for the forseeable future going to shetty hospital. We are the bastard children so it seems . Only west bayers can get a new 4lane higway and still complain.
Those garbage trucks are going to wake up everyone in bodden town at 3-4 am every morning. The noise and smell will be disgusting . Nothing will be done by MLA's to make old people last days live in peace and quiet.
The UDP needs to take the Cancer dump and dump it in their own backyards! Bodden Towners are no fools yah heard!!! We voted the UDP in and now we are going to vote them OUT! Independents taking over!!!!
I hope Bodden Towners realise the sham that the UDP and PNA are pulling on them. There are 2 UDP and 2 PNA candidates and 4 seats. Richard Christian I am told was asked to stand down (and the dual nationality made it convenient). Now the UDP and PNA hope to win 2 seats each and join forces. If it looks like a UDP and quacks like a UDP its a UDP. Mark, Jon Jon, Theresa and Chris…nice try but not today BoBoooos
Why is this so hard to understand. ?
The dump is a problem now !
There is a site that it can be placed in bodden Town. (According to the only expert report.) The people objecting should object because it in their back yard. …mine too. But I am no expert and spending a few hours reseaching on the internet won't make me one…,more informed but not an expert.
So while I will never be a happy supporter of the dump in my back yard . I realise some thing has to be done…and some place will have to be affected.
If the least offensive and harmful place it can go is BT…then it should go to BT
When they decided to build a power plant in Costa Rica there were many people who objected to the site they choose to damn up…but it had to be done for the greater good of the country….they are better off for it.
The Dump is a problem …not a polictial football..It seems there is only one adult in the Room when it comes to Bodden Town Politicans.
Mr. Scotland don't want the dump where he lives but he is acknowledging the fact that it has to be dealth with….
Actually, the proposed site is well outside Bodden Town and well north of the northern most boundary to Midland Acres residential community. The decibel rating will be well below that of its neighbouring rock crushers at existing quarries, and the traffic would go directly there via East-West Arterial Hwy. Facts.
It’s too bad the former udp ers sat back and let fat mac give the west bay road away…. They should have to sign these campaign promises and be removed from office if they are broken.
Mark Dwayne Theresa Chris you are all wasting your time. You are all loyal to one man and you put him ahead of your district, and even your country. None of you will be voted in, you are loyal to the ideal of power and money. Theresa I expected better of you, you are supposed to have high morals and ethics, but now I see you are simply another wannabe power monger with a chip on your shoulder. If you think Julie is bad, check Theresa! Do not vote her in and give her the opportunity to dig in because she will affix herself to the seat of power and will figh forever to cling to her power. Lets not make the same mistake twice in a row. No to UDP and No to PNA!
Power to the people
Yes lets vote for those who expanded government with over 600 new "gowerment" employees who now are slurping at public trough and who's prediction of the global financial crisis effects on Cayman was as good as they ran the government who handed out turkeys and hams for Christmas who always are asleep in the LA and who see their public office as an entitlement not an honour or how about those who's lavish lifestyles are now being threatened by the people whom they invite here to displace their own people and are now all of a sudden concern by the level of influence and power they now wield in our little society so they are now trying to enter politics to try and stop and control dem dreaded furniers aaaah give it rest, your unbridal hate and predjudices are duly noted your adding of other nefarious politicians in this little tirade does not hide your thinly veiled attempt to hide your hatred and contempt for one person. You must be one us because unfortunately it appears to be one of the hereditary illness we suffer from and why this place is the way it is. Go sit down the people of Bodden Town will decide that? The real trouble with ignorance is as it goes along it picks up confidence.
To be honest, I was one of those nay-sayers about the smb road. But I must give my sincere apologizes, to both Mac and Dart on this project. Having been one to be stuck in traffic both going and coming, this surely has decreased that problem considerably! Can’t lie, it’s a traffic reliever for sure. But that said, it is a busy road and I feel they should allow for those who enjoy a slower drive to have access to flow through the old road at a 20 mile speed limit, with speed bump deterrents. The old schoolers especially miss the nostalgia of their familiar route and i myself sometimes miss the scenic option. Also let’s not forget, that some people aren’t used to highways and sharp roundabouts and those can be very dangerous driving conditions too. But basically that is the only complaint I have personally. So humbly i say good job guys and thank you. This goes to show maybe it would make for a calmer society if we just learn to compromise and be open to suggestions from both sides. Had about enough of hearing arguments now. Just go listen to hear what the people have to say no one needs to sign anything just sit a talk it out sensibly and give options. Unna all need to stop the drama man, too distracting and confusing.
I have the impression that Dart's best days in the Cayman Islands have come to an end. Now let's reverse the rubbish he pulled on the West Bay Road.
No, it really is true. He's had his best days here. Now it's reality time with his chief sponser up before the courts on those there charges. Time to quit those jovial meetings, perhaps? Got enogh fuel to get out of town before being thrown out?
Chuckie I hope you are voted in and deal with this issue from a Politician, lawyer and police stand point. In my honest opinion you are the only one I trust that got the BALLS to correct Big Mac’s and his Bodden Town puppets erroneous decision and to stand up to Mr.Ken Dart’s got the Government by its throat attitude!
May 22nd cant come soon enough!
This dump issue has ruled out three bodden town candidates as I see it john John, Mark and
Vincent.
John John and Mark we voted you in to be politicians not to be yes men. Why should we give you another chance when you have proven not to be leaders but blind followers. it probably would have served you better just to keep quiet than to admit that you were against it. It least we would truely know where you stand.
Vincent is just so absolutely confusing. How can you be on the committee to stop the dump but run for the party bringing the dump.
There is a little song for you three –
Three blind mice
three blind mice
see how they run
well you know the rest.
The dump issue has ruled out every candidate that has refused to even try to tackle the grave existing problem. Vincent was never even close to consideration.
Mr A Dump Free GT is that it appears as if you vote in GT and you can run your mouth all you want from GT but here is a fact anyone supporting the dump in BT might as well not even run.
Now we have Grave problems too? At the dump? Wow, this is worse than I thought Batman!
NPA, UDP same crap different day.
I belioeve they think us BTer's are idiots or foo fools.
You supported your leader and deserve to go down with his ship of fools.
The whole Dart deal (or steal in this case) needs to be reopened and re-evaluiated in an open and transparent manner. The fact that the people of these Islands are being SPITEFULLY kept in the dark about the details of EVERYTHING means it can not be good for ANYONE BUT DART.
This hold charade needs to come to an abrupt hault.
Those whop signed on behalf of the government need to be held accountable for doing DAMAGE to the Cayman Islands.
The fact that a vulture corporation like dart has been allowed into these islands is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the politicians. The desperation to get elected and continue the alliance with all its secret deals and payments is driving them to say anything to get back in.
Typical Caymanian politics. The candidates say what the people want to hear… i.e "I'm against the dump relocation to BT" just before election time. OK….
Minister Scotland, a real politician voices real his opinion and offers practical solutions. If you never wanted this to happen, regardless of it 'throwing you under the bus', you surely lack a demonstration of integrity. Never wait until cabinet dissolves to show your true political stance because some of us voters are actually paying harder attention to your deceptions after the last hell of fouryears you've given us.
Pathetic.
Its typical of politics anywhere
Mark is a prime example as to why we can never trust the UDP or the PNA.
When his people were protesting the proposed relocation, at a UDP meeting in BT, he sat still and supported it. Yet now he is against it?!
So what he is saying is that he can be controlled by one man, even when he is in opposition to a position taken by his leader?!!
Yeah, I wont be supporting him.
Come on now, lets get this straight. Mark was never in support of the dump going to Bodden Town. He was simply in support of McKeeva having McKeeva's way as Mark's best chance of getting re-elected. Now that it looks like poor old forever honerable Mac is out of the picture for good of course poor little Markie has another strategy to get himself re-elected. "A'll jes oppose the damn dump goin to Bodden Town now of course. dem idiot ass Bodden Towners won't even remember I was shoving it down their throats six months ago". Smells like a real garbage dump to me. Waa mess. At least he didn't spend millions of our money paving private driveways and building nations and hurricane shelters to get back in.
As a mamber of the Government that did the paving and building he did nothing to stop it. Guilty!!
He's going down fighting with one thumb down…
What a surprise! Anybody would think that they were trying to get elected by the people of Bodden Town. Still, they can always be "overuled" by the majority and flip flop back to supporting the idea when in power..