Guest Writer
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What’s important to the Ministry of Education?
The Cayman Islands Further Education Centre has been endeavouring to make their prom happen. However, it seems that the Ministry of Education does not support two of our themes for dress down days, which were “Pajama Day” and “Gender Switch Day”, and neglected to give a valid reason as to why. This raises numerous questions within me, such as: “What is so wrong with these two themes?” and “Why is this so important when there are other situations that need more attention given to them?”
My fellow students and I were the ones who decided that a ‘Spirit Week’ would be a fun and safe way to raise money. Students helped pick a theme for every day that would allow to us to dress up completely differently and step out of the norm for a week. We had a lot of success and students enjoyed themselves.
However, yesterday, April 19, certain teachers and parents did not like the idea of girls dressing as boys and boy dressing as girls. It is understandable if people didn’t like the theme and we accept that, but the ministry should have dealt with this in a mature manner rather than making a public statement saying that Gender Switch and Pajama days were now banned from all schools (public and private) because the ministry does not approve.
This resulted in our principal going around to classes checking if there were any males dressed as a girl. It is known fact that the Cayman Islands are very conservative and believe certain ways of living are not appropriate. Nothing is wrong with having an opinion but it does become a problem when you shove them down people’s throats and expect them to be happy because to you it makes sense. It did not even occur to the students that boys dressing like girls and vice versa made others think that we were supporting homosexuality. We were just having fun and the ministry basically stripped us of our innocence and made our school look bad. Because of those who are narrow minded, our exciting day turned sour.
What has really been bothering me is how fast this was dealt with. It didn’t even take a day to handle a situation that wasn’t even a problem! It’s clear to me that that the fact that our standard of education is dropping to accommodate those students who don’t find school to be necessary isn’t as important as a boy putting a dress on for the fun of it. Changing schools basically every year since 2007 with new ideas that didn’t work out should be the issues they are dealing with. What they should be looking into seems to be the least of their worries, which should trigger some serious questions within every citizen of this country.
A teacher suggested that the reason this was a problem is because CIFEC is right next door to the school for those who live in Bodden Town and up (which is in George Town) and maybe parents didn’t like it because it could influence the younger students to want to dress like us.
I have a statement to all parents who were offended: if your child liked the fact that girls were dressing as boys and vice versa, maybe you should consider that your child is gay.
It was very childish of the ministry to deal with this situation as they did. It would have been a lot better if they came to our school and explained to us as to why they didn’t want us to do it again instead of giving a public statement to make it seem like they’re on top of everything.
Lastly, I’d just like to say that although it may seem like they are doing something for our schools, they are not and we need you as parents to realise that that is what is important, not girls acting like thugs and boys acting like chicks just for the fun of it.
Also, when the bill of rights is introduced to the Cayman Islands, this act of banning gender switch day would be considered illegal. Cayman needs to get with the times (though I'm not implying that we should be followers and not leaders) and realise that the times are changing and it would be wise to go with the flow.
The vision thing
Oh no, not another attack on politicians. Why? One is reluctant to write yet another negative rant about our elected leaders because: (A) They obviously don’t care about taking constructive criticism; (B) Anything written risks being redundant because everybody else in the Cayman Islands is already pointing out their failures; and (C) What more is left to say about these men and women who “serve” for their gain at the people’s expense?
There is something left to be said, however. Forget, for the moment, the usual suspects of alleged corruption, confirmed incompetence and obvious pettiness. Let’s consider the vision thing. Yes, “vision” is often rightly seen as one more meaningless cliché in the politician’s arsenal. What works better than spouting empty words and promises about a future that never arrives? Mindless drones lap it up all the way to the polling booths, and our politicians know it. Even the most loyal supporters tend not to actually believe that their favorite politician will ever do anything substantial that is remotely linked to anything described as “long-term vision for the future of Cayman”. But let’s not dismiss the importance of vision for the country just because it’s a meaningless concept in the hearts and minds of voters and politicians. It turns out that it really is important.
If Cayman’s leaders had vision beyond, say, at least the next election, just imagine how much better off the Cayman Islands might be right now. Education, infrastructure, policing, tourism, the financial industry, art, music, the natural environment, and employment for Caymanians would collectively be in a much better state right now. This is not a wild comment without basis. If our leaders of the last 50 years had consistently considered Cayman’s best interest long-term, decades forward, there can be no doubt that virtually every aspect of Caymanian society would be better off today. Anyone who disagrees must either be a politician or have one in his pocket.
The politicians are unlikely to change, of course. They never will if they don’t have to. They will be happy to continue making tiny short-term promises that seduce half-interested voters. It’s too easy for them to fill their speeches with empty nonsense about our long-term future, if they mention it at all, because they know no one will hold them to any of it. The only thing that will force this unique breed of Caymanians to change their ways is for voters to demand better. The people have to ask politicians where Cayman is heading and where it will be in 50 years—and then demand more than fake smiles and hollow answers.
The questions are simple: Where do you want to lead us and how exactly will you take us there? If a politician fails to answer in detail, then he or she doesn’t deserve your vote. Simple as that.
Breast cancer treatment to be revolutionised
(The Telegraph): Breast cancer has traditionally been viewed as a single condition which has three or four varieties, but researchers discovered it can be separated into ten distinct types which give patients dramatically varying chances of survival. Knowing which category a patient's cancer falls into will help doctors determine which treatments stand the best chance of eliminating the tumour, and avoid those least likely to benefit the patient. The project, the largest genetic study of breast cancer tissue that has ever been conducted, was hailed by charities as a step towards the "holy grail" of tailoring treatments to the needs of individual patients. Unnecessary treatment with toxic drugs is still a major risk in breast cancer treatment because doctors are unable to determine which patients will respond best to which drugs.
Mac sets referendum for July
(CNS): The Cayman Islands premier has announced that there will be a referendum this summer on the question of single member constituencies. Speaking in the Legislative Assembly Wenesday morning, he said government had decided to hold the national ballot before the next election on 18 July because of what he described as the divisiveness that the debate was causing in the country. He said government had given significant consideration to the current national discussion and would soon begin an education campaign. McKeeva Bush said he was optimistic that once the people of Cayman were informed on the pros and cons they would make the right decision.
“It is a very divisive issue and when combined with the politics that have been infused into the discussion, it has and will create significant confusion in these islands,” Bush told his legislative colleagues on Wednesday, as the House returned after the Easter break and he made the unexpected announcement.
“My government had previously made a commitment to hold a referendum on the issue at the same time as the next general election. However, due to the deepening divide inthe country caused by the way the opposition and the independent member from North Side has used this issue, my government feels it responsible to put this issue to the electors of this country.”
He said it was important that the public be given its full voice on what he described as a most important constitutional issue.
“In this vein I am pleased to announce that the gGovernment will hold a referendum on the issue of single member constituencies on 18th July, 2012," he said, adding that his position on the electoral system was: "if it is not broken – we shouldn’t meddle with it.”
He said government would embark on a public education process on the proposal for single member constituencies, which would be a significant change.
“I am optimistic that after the intelligent people of the Cayman Islands have made themselves fully knowledgeable and informed on the pros and cons of the various systems, as they have always done, they will make the right decision on this subject,” Bush stated.
Asked by the opposition leader what the question would be and if the referendum would be based on the question in the petition currently circulating asking for a people-initiated referendum on the subject, Bush said that the question or questions would be revealed at the earliest opportunity.
He refused to be drawn on whether this referendum was to be driven entirely by government or whether it was influenced by the petition request, as he said he had heard lots about the petition but he had never seen it and was not aware what it said. He insisted that the ballot question would be arrived at soon and that first there would be an education campaign.
An opponent of single member constituencies, in his statement the premier said the introduction would be costly and he believed it would increase demands on the country’s limited resources, claiming it would see constituenciesdemanding individual services and amenities.
“People who were historically used to voting for and having multiple representatives to represent them, under the changed system would only have a single representative. So people would be put in a worse position; for most people who live in constituencies with 4, 3, 2 representatives, if they move to 1, their franchise rights will be severely shrunken," he added.
Bush said that single member constituencies would be one of the most divisive paths for these islands because it would divide the indigenous vote and create “deeply divided and insular constituencies” at great expense as there would need to be 18 constituency offices and 18 secretaries with associated resources.
These claims have been widely disputed by those promoting the concept of one man, one vote and single member constituencies, which is considered more democratic than multiple voting rights.
The petition, which has been circulating since February and has already collected close to the 3,800 electors names required to trigger a people-initiated referendum, requests a November ballot as opposed to a summer referendum. In order for the referendum on the issue to pass, the premier said it would require 50% of the electorate to vote in favour as stated in the constitution on people led referendums, and not 50% of the turn-out, which might in the summer months prove to be a tall order.
See the premeir's full statement below.
Petition for single member constituencies and contacts
Abdel Hakim Belhaj to sue Diego Garcia commission
(BBC): A former terror suspect who claims he was tortured after being rendered to Libya in 2004 is suing the UK commission in charge of Diego Garcia. Abdel Hakim Belhaj alleges the aircraft taking him to Libya refuelled at the UK territory, and that its administration was complicit in his illegal rendition. Mr Belhaj is already suing MI6 and the government. Successive governments have denied involvement in such renditions. But the BBC understands Mr Belhaj's rendition had ministerial approval. Mr Belhaj believes he was rendered from Bangkok to Libya by the CIA, and claims that during his more than four years in a Libyan prison he was interrogated by agents from countries including Britain and United States.
He has since worked with Nato as one of the leaders of the forces that helped overthrow Col Muammar Gaddafi and is now a senior military commander in the new Libya.
Stewards of our land
Having had the pleasure of a wonderful evening spent at Mr Joel Walton’s Plantation House this past Saturday, an annual event put on by the Slow Food movement, enjoying fabulous company and spectacular food, sourced from Joel’s garden and prepared by the Brasserie, I was most impressed by my surroundings and Joel’s generosity in opening his home but also in sharing his knowledge from his many successes (and perhaps a few failures) in making a fruitful and productive garden on rocky ground that would at first seem to be inhospitable to most plants.
(For your own garden tour it is worth noting that the Plantation House is open to the public every Sunday from 2pm – 5pm.)
One of the things that really got me thinking was Joel’s description of himself as being simply a steward of this land as his father was before him and as his children will be in the future. This is precisely how we should be looking at our surroundings whether we live in a house with a few acres of land or in a condo complex with just a patio with perhaps room for a few pots of fresh herbs.
It has become obvious that our government is not about to do anything about the mounting problem of recycling or lack thereof. This is not to say they don’t wish to take on this battle but, to be fair, they have an enormous amount of other (perhaps more) pressing issues and this is just one of the many they are facing.
I’d rather leave the government to deal with the more pressing issues that can’t be solved by the private sector (like fighting crime) and suggest that for issues such as this one, the private sector should lead the way. It won’t be the first time the private sector has instigated a positive change – the fact that the supermarkets are now charging for plastic bags is another small step in the right direction that was initiated by the private sector.
Although not addressing the issue of plastic and glass, which I agree does need to be addressed at some point in the not too distant future, my suggestion for the start of a solution is simply that those people in apartment and condominium complexes ask their executive committees and/or their strata management companies to think about placing a compost bin on the property along with some basic composting instructions (see top 10 tips below). Those complexes that have gardens maintained by a local company can involve the gardening company, which can use the compost for the plants on the property. Those in privatehomes can also easily do this as well and I’m sure most, if not all, of the gardening and landscaping companies on island would be happy to provide advice on how best to do this.
This may not be the solution to all our issues but it would be a step in the right direction for becoming more responsible stewards of our surroundings. Next up: plastic and glass!
Top 10 Composting Tips to get you started:
- Gather all grass clippings and green yard waste but be sure to mix with the "brown" materials like leaves and shredded paper to add carbon. You will need both, but if you only add grass clippings your pile will compact and start to stink.
- Do not compost meats or pet droppings. Stick with food scraps and yard waste only.
- Avoid all pesticides and/or herbicide treated material.
- If you add weeds to your pile make sure your pile is good and hot. It should be steaming hot, not just warm otherwise it may not kill the seeds.
- Turn your pile as often as you can. Each time you turn it will speed up the process.
- Keep your compost damp but not wet. As you add material to your pile make sure that each layer is moist as it is added. During the dry months your pile will dry out and the composting process will slow down.
- Got too much material to compost? Make a second or third pile. Stop adding material to a pile that is underway and start a new pile. This will insure you get a chance to use the compost this season.
- Add compost to your garden a few weeks before you plant. Let the compost have a chance to work into the soil. Try to mix it in and let it sit before you plant.
- Worms and most bugs are ok. No need to go crazy trying to keep bugs out of your compost.
- Since the compost process works best at temperature between 120 and 150 degrees composting in the warmer months is easier to do, if this is your first attempt at composting best to try in the summer.
Cayman fitness tips
A typical Cayman lunch or dinner consists of:
Chicken / Beef / Meat
Rice & Beans
Potato Salad / Breadfruit
Macaroni & Cheese
Corn Bread
Fried Plantain
Lettuce & Tomato
Soda / Fruit Punch / Juice-Drink
Mmmm – getting hungry? Most people would look at this meal and think that the meat and fried plantains are the weight gainers. You may be surprised.
Do you feel slow, lethargic and lazy after lunch? (Yes – I am referring to what is locally known as "niggaritis".) This feeling is actually due to the extremely high levels of carbohydrates (carbs) that are present in a typical Caymanian meal.
It is not the normal sized serving of meat that is making you gain weight; instead it is the high intake of energy-providing carbohydrates that have no chance of being used up by your body. This is why you feel so sluggish after lunch and dinner – too much of the starchy foods in our meals.
Our eating culture has a historical context. The active lifestyle, economic reality, and access to various foods determined our eating habits. Nowadays most of us are inactive and only sit behind a desk all day long … this does not require much carbs. Therefore, the carbs that we intake are not used / burned up by the body so it simply stays in the body as FAT.
Many people make the mistake and cut out meat and keep everything else when they go on a "diet". This is a common mistake. (By the way, diets DO NOT work simply because when you return to a normal eating pattern your body will return to its earlier condition.)
Instead, keep eating the same portion of meats, increase your intake of leafy vegetables and cut back significantly on the Rice & Beans, Macaroni, Breadfruit, Cornbread, Potato Salad – the starchy stuff.
Also, and perhaps most importantly, you should try to break out of the common eating pattern of 3 big meals a day. Instead try to focus on 6 – 8 small, frequent meals throughout the day. This keeps your metabolism running at top speed and you will actually BURN MORE CALORIES by eating more regularly – sweet deal right?
Exercise
Join a gym or health club. Also, invest in some proper workout attire to go along with your new lifestyle. Both of these actions will help you to stay committed, especially in the early weeks, as you have a financial interest in the new you.
If it is your first time, be sure to seek the assistance of a trained professional at your chosen establishment. Do not be intimidated by the gym scene; the truth is that 90% of people in the gym are just as clueless as you are … even many of the big muscle guys!
If you are a beginner you may want to spend some time on the cardio machines to get your body accustomed to its new way of life. However, do not get caught up in what I refer to as "CARDIO PRISON".
Cardio prison is when people equate "going to the gym" with walking / running on the treadmill, cross-trainer or stair-climber. Yes, all of these machines are useful in their own right; however including RESISTANCE TRAINING (free weights / dumbbells / weight machines) can significantly increase the extent and speed of your results.
Typically you can have as good as, if not better, a workout in half of the time you spend on a cardio machine if you include some of the weight machines in your fitness program. Plus this way you can actually burn calories and "lose weight" 24/7 as opposed to only when you are sweating away on a boring treadmill for 1.5 hours … but I won't get into all of that now.
Conclusion
So, for a healthier and smaller you, it will help to:
- decrease the size of your meals
- increase the frequency of your meals (6-8 rather than 3)
- take advantage of the many buffet lunches islandwide today as they give you control over what and how much you eat
- cut back significantly on your carbohydrate intake
- get active – daily walks / jogs, join a gym
- add some resistance training to your workout (ladies, no – this will NOT bulk you up, don't worry)
- try to avoid "cardio prison"
- drinks lots of water
- NO MORE sodas, "juice drinks" etc. These are like a sugar-drip into your body
So, there you have it folks. You have just received a "professional" fitness consultation and managed to save about $300 bucks as well. Now, get out there and get crackin'!
* Disclaimer: Always consult a doctor before starting any fitness regime or change of diet and eating pattern.
Feel free to post any questions regarding any of the above or fitness in general and I will be happy to help if I can.
Webb accepts nomination for CONCACAF president
(CNS): The president of the Cayman Islands Football Association (CIFA), Jeff Webb, says he will build on the unity of the regional football association if he is elected president of CONCACAF. Webb accepted the nomination for president of the governing body for association football in the region this weekend and the election is set to take place at the CONCACAF congress in Budapest, Hungary. Saturday’s announcement came after a week where support increased for the experienced football administrator to take over the helm of the continental governing body for football in North and Central America and the Caribbean. To date, twenty-five of the forty member countries have nominated Webb as a candidate.
“I am humbled by the tremendous outpouring of support and encouragement received from so many of the member countries,” he said in a release from CIFA. “It is this unity of the CONCACAF that will champion our success, and if elected, it is my intention to build on that unity through collaboration, transparency, integrity, engagement, and accountability.”
Webb has over twenty years in leadership positions in football, as president of the CIFA, FIFA Executive Committee (observer), chairman of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Normalisation Committee, member of the FIFA Transparency and Compliance Committee, deputy chairman of the FIFA Internal Audit Committee, and chairman of the CONCACAF Youth Committee.
Like most football players of his generation within the Caribbean, Webb started playing the game in the street. As he developed as a player, so did his desire to improve accessibility to, and conditions within, the sport. Webb became president of his football club in 1985, and later his attention turned to the national level, becoming president of the Cayman Islands Football Association (CIFA) in 1991.
According to the release, during his uninterrupted twenty year tenure as president of the CIFA he has improved accessibility to the sport in every district, and his commitment to youth, particularly at the grassroots level, has created opportunity and growth in the sport. In 2009, the opening of the Home of Cayman Football and The Cayman Centre for Excellence proved to be a culmination of all his efforts.
Through his administrative expertise, Jeffrey elevated the CIFA to the international level, with it becoming a member of both CONCACAF and FIFA in 1992, the release said.
Webb’s current appointments include the FIFA Internal Audit Committee in 2002 (and presently serves as its Deputy Chairman), the CONCACAF Youth Committee Chairman since 2009, the FIFA Transparency and Compliance Committee since 2011 (charged with reforming FIFA), Chairman of the CFU Normalisation Committee in 2011, and his most recent appointment (2012), representative for the Caribbean Zone as an observer on the FIFA Executive Committee.
Former Irish PM ‘failed to account for money’
(BBC): The Irish government has asked the Irish police to look at the findings of a report into corruption in the Republic's planning process. The Mahon Tribunal found that former Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern failed to truthfully account for a number of financial transactions. But the tribunal did not make a corruption finding against Mr Ahern. However, it rejected the former Taoiseach's evidence about the sources of money in his bank accounts. The tribunal, which ran for 15 years, makes several findings of corruption against a number of witnesses. The tribunal found that Mr Ahern failed to truthfully account for a total of 165,214.25 Irish punts passing through accounts connected with him.
Don’t Dump on Bodden Town
I found the March 16th viewpoint of Mr Frank McField (in the Caymanian Compass) as insulting as it was misinformed and naive. “Bodden Town voters” did not need Mr Alden McLaughlin to be “inflamed” by government’s proposed relocation of Grand Cayman’s dump to our district. We were in fact inflamed following a meeting with Dart representatives whom we invited to speak to us, well before Mr McLaughlin expressed any opinion.
About two dozen ordinary Bodden Town residents, with no political affiliation, assembled on October 24th to listen to Mr Ken Hydes, Mr Martin Edelenbos and Ms Joanne Gammage. Our initial concern was the acute problem of heavy truck traffic through our town and the certain aggravation of that problem by putting the island’s dump in Midland Acres.
After listening to the Dart presentation and their answers to our queries, we decided to vigourously oppose the project and to form the Coalition to Keep BT Dump Free.
“Is there a chance that the trash presently at the GT landfill will be moved to the new dump?” – “Not to our knowledge.”
“Will Dart be involved in managing the new landfill?” – “Not at all.”
”Will the East-West Arterial be extended to at least Midland Acres?” – “This a Government matter, not Dart’s.”
”What difference will there be between the present dump in GT and the one being proposed for BT?” – “The pits in Midland Acres will have a liner at the bottom.”
”Is Dart behind this project strictly for the good of Cayman?” – “Well, we have to admit that it would be a good thing for Dart.”
As per our first press release: “We consider the planned move a threat to the integrity of historic Bodden Town, and are certain that the vast majority of Bodden Towners share this view. As well, we seriously question the motives behind the proposal to move the present dump, and the need to move it anywhere.”
Mr McField’s attempt to trivialize our concern and our campaign into some sort of PPM “vote-getting scheme” is outrageous. As per our response to the UDP’s claim at their March 8th Bodden Town Post Office rally that the Coalition is “controlled by the PPM”, we responded that this was nothing but a smokescreen to avoid responding to Coalition objections. “Premier Bush, Minister Scotland and BT MLA Seymour are well aware that we’re completely independent of and do not support the PPM. While individual members of the PPM may well support the Coalition’s campaign – as do several UDP members – the Coalition has nothing to do with any political party. There isn’t a single MLA or PPM official on our Coordinating Committee and the Coalition has not received a penny from the PPM.”
We established the Coalition last October as “a non-profit, non-political, single-issue organization open to anyone opposed to moving the dump to Bodden Town, regardless of their view on other issues, and regardless of political affiliation”. The Coalition supports no political party, and has equally condemned past and present governments for neglecting their responsibility in regards to proper management of the George Town landfill and the elimination of Mount Trashmore.
As to Mr McField’s praise for Dart, we are not taking away any credit which Dart may deserve. But, let’s not be naïve. Many of our supporters did until recently admire the island’s biggest real estate developer. They knew, of course, that Dart is a private company, driven by profit, and that anything they did was in their interest, whether immediately or ultimately, directly or indirectly. Yes, what they did was not from “the goodness of their hearts”, but it was felt that they respected our country and its heritage and environment.
They were not considered ruthless and rapacious profiteers who would run roughshod over due process and transparency and grab anything they could get away with. In fact, Dart had built up considerable goodwill. But the acquisition of a substantial length of West Bay Road, part of Cayman’s birthright and heritage, and a public asset of all Caymanians, and the proposed relocation of the George Town dump have changed how many perceive Dart. Many now wonder if Dart’s “generosity” was not in fact a “run-up scenario” designed to “soften us up”. Many did not expect Dart to take whatever government would give away in exchange for a promise of “thirty pieces of gold” – especially inasmuch as government was never mandated by the people to do so.
But back to the issue of the George Town landfill and its relocation. After all, we can’t fault Dart if government inexplicably reneged on its deal with Wheelabrator to build a waste-to-energy facility on the present site, the proposal recommended by the Central Tenders Committee (CTC), and the solution supported by virtually all experts. We can however reasonably question the proposal submitted by Dart’s construction company Decco and its concern for our environment. Relocating the dump to Midland Acres would involve rezoning the area. We can fault Dart and question their priorities for proposing to transform a pristine residential/agricultural area to heavy industrial use. In any case, the CTC rejected it, rating it worst of all proposals considered for solving the GT dump problem after its technical team expressed “great concern” about the impact of a dump in an “environmentally sensitive” area. And, we can’t fault a “good corporate citizen” like Dart if government then ignored the CTC and due process and ran with the Dart proposal of putting the dump in Bodden Town.
We can question how Dart intends to approach the rezoning of the proposed dump site. In response to an FOI request, the Central Planning Authority claims that the only record it has of anything related to the relocation of the dump to Bodden Town is a March 2011 Planning Department meeting which discussed and approved the subdivision of Dart’s Midland acres property. Is this in fact a tactic to rezone behind our backs, to bypass due process and any consultation with the surrounding population?
Mr McField is grossly misinformed and uncritically swayed by the “spin” of a well-oiled and well-funded PR machine in declaring that the plan for Midland Acres is ”a more ecologically conscious waste management facility” and an “environmentally manageable waste disposal site”. This flies in the face of what we heard from Dart’s own representatives and from Mr Sam Small, a civil engineer with experience at the GT landfill: “The Dart-Government dance regarding the proposed in Landfill in Bodden Town is a brilliant piece of marketing by the 'ForCayman Alliance' (FCA) with beautifully produced flyer which seems to answer the questions but is not setting the dump facts straight. What FCA is offering for Bodden town is exactly the same as we have at the GT landfill, apart from a liner under the proposed landfill. But, how is Government going to deal with the runoff from BT landfill?”
Other experts dismiss the significance of even the liner, suggesting that the acid from a single miss-sorted and overturned car battery is all it takes to pierce the liner, and begin the process of contaminating the central wetlands. At a September 21st 2011 meeting between Water Authority (WA) experts and Dart representatives, according to documents remitted by WA in response to an FOI request, the Dart people stated: “The new waste management facility will provide for the same processes carried out at the current GT dump …” How in the world can Mr McField honestly declare that “…the quality of our waste management system could be greatly enhanced by closing the George Town dump and opening another in Midland Acres”?
In Mr Small’s opinion, building another landfill site in Cayman “…is a crazy idea, especially as it is miles from the source of the waste. Dart has openly stated that they are not going to operate the site and so the same operators who currently run the GT landfill will operate the BT landfill with the same guidelines of covering the fill on a daily basis as they are meant to do today. If you look at the website for the new landfill you see different buildings shown, and now go and visit the GT landfill and you see exactly the same buildings including the recycling centre. Why are we expected to believe that the same operators are going to suddenly do things differently from what they currently do. Why there are no formal mass recycling programs today is because DEH is underfunded. And how much extra funding will the new facility get from Government to guarantee it will not turn into another GT landfill within the next decade."
Numerous requests from the Coalition to see the projected operating budget of the proposed facility, and the source of funding, remain unanswered. Is Mr McField perhaps privy to such information, or does he simply have blind faith in the same people who have mismanaged the GT landfill since 1983? Has Mr McField seen anything more than the meaningless artist’s conceptual drawing of the proposed site that the FCA has been peddling? Our numerous requests for technical drawings and specifications have also gone unanswered.
Mr McField doesn’t feel that Bodden Town residents ”…should be able to say ‘not in my backyard’…”, but we imagine that Dart does have this right. After all, the facts clearly show that Dart’s desire to get the GT dump out of its sight is the only reason for relocating it and contaminating a second site. The current Street Atlas of the Cayman Islands (Page 24) pinpoints the “Camana Bay Future Residential Area” adjacent to the “Waste Management Facility” (sic). And, Dart CEO Mr. Jim Lammers could not have been more clear: the GT dump is the “single most commonly stated hurdle for potential purchasers of various residential units at Camana Bay”.
But Dart knew of the dump when it purchased the Camana Bay land. The fact that Bodden Town residents and property owners didn’t does give them the right to refuse the proposed dump. However, Mr McField, apparently speaking, not for Dart, but for “all George Town voters”, seems to feel that this is just, that the real injustice is George Town continuing “…to play host to the garbage of the entire island after having served so long as its economic lifeline as well as its garbage dump…”
Honestly, Mr McField, is it not normal that the economic centre of this island and the source of most of its waste also be the site of its waste facility? Are you suggesting that the Bodden Town district will receive the benefits of George Town – its jobs and economic activity — along with its dump? Quite the contrary! As the Coalition has repeatedly pointed out, a dump in our district will be the prime obstacle to new jobs and economic growth. No one will consider establishing a new business or tourism facility or residential project around a dump. Several tenants in the area have already indicated that they won’t be renewing their leases.
The overwhelming bulk of the island’s waste is generated in George Town, West Bay, and along Seven Mile Beach. Of the estimated 2010 Grand Cayman population of 52,601, no less than 46,869 people resided in West Bay and George Town. This puts 89% of the population — and we can assume of its waste — far from the proposed dump site. Department of Tourism figures for 2011 show a total of 309,091 stay-over tourists, overwhelmingly along the Seven Mile Beach corridor. This adds, on average, another 5,944 every week to the GT-WB area, not to mention that most people living in the Eastern Districts work in the GT “economic lifeline”, producing more waste in the area. We can safely assume that government intends to truck at least 92% of the island’s waste all the way to Bodden Town, and on to the proposed dump, wasting fuel, increasing noise, pollution, risk of accidents and wear-and-tear of our roads all along the route. Surely this can only make sense for Dart.
At that same Water Authority meeting of September 21st last, WA experts stressed the need for “a systematic and complete review” of the project, and for “an Environmental Impact Assessment”. Such an assessment, anywhere in the world, would be the very first step in the process of selecting an alternate dump site, in advance of a site being selected. Such a study has still not been done. We still don’t even know which government entity decided that the GT dump had to moved, and that the Bodden Town site was the best. The only response we’ve received so far is a vague December 20th reference by Minister Scotland to “a private 1990s study”, in which, he admitted, Bodden Town was not the first choice, but demands that he disclose the document remain unanswered.
This disregard for due process, transparency, and for our environment is only part of what has inflamed, not only Bodden Towners, but many others around the island. Bodden Town’s already acute traffic problem will be aggravated rather than solved. Economic growth in our district will be stymied instead of stimulated. The common-sense rule of keeping a landfill close to the source of the waste is completely ignored. A dump should be located where residents and property owners have prior knowledge of the proximity of a waste disposal facility. A dump should be located in an industrial area, close to a major roadway, close to the public sewage system and to the source of energy, both for supply and possible resale. It should never be located in a wide open area vulnerable to natural disasters (like hurricanes). It should never be near animal or nature preserves, like Meagre Bay Pond, one of the island’s key bird sanctuaries. Areas of historic value should be avoided, and Bodden Town is the original capital, with several historic attractions and homes.
But, above all, the cardinal rule is to never relocate a dump unless absolutely essential: Never contaminate a second site. Any new and improved waste managementtechnology touted for a new site should be implemented (and tested, risk-free) at the existing site.
That successive governments since 1983 have shirked their responsibility of properly managing the George Town landfill, and eliminating Mount Trashmore, is a national disgrace. This responsibility has been an integral part of the mandate of the well-paid politicians who voluntarily opted for public life as representatives of the people, and who have governed our country. Fixing the problem of the existing landfill – where it is — continues to be government’s responsibility. To allow them to make a deal with Dart to run from the problem by simply “exporting” it elsewhere as a “quick and cheap fix”, and “sweeping it under the carpet”, would compound this national disgrace, and be a poor lesson indeed to our children, to future generations…and to future governments.
Establishing a new landfill in Bodden Town, to be managed by these same governments which have shirked their responsibility up until now has the potential of becoming the worst ecological disaster in Cayman’s history.
Alain Beiner, Bodden Town