The Mayor and City Council apologises to residents for the smoke nuisance from the landfill site at Le Repentir Cemetery and says that city engineers and other officers are working hard to reduce the incidents of fire and the related irritants.
In a press release, the City Council said it regrets the inconvenience that the smoke may have caused residents living in nearby communities and that work is in progress to cap off about five acres of the area which will reduce the fires.
The Council said it is challenged to manage Georgetown’s solid waste and citizens should appreciate its efforts to protect the environment and their welfare.
It said in the latter part of the 1950s “Old Smoky” was constructed and served as a main disposal facility for general domestic and hospital waste but the facility fell to ruin in the 1990s and had to be decommissioned. However, the practice of land filling continues to be the main means of disposal of solid waste generated by citizens, businesses and industries in Georgetown and some neighbouring communities. “It is important to note that the city was planned with a number of open spaces for recreational purposes as well as the development of community-based facilities,” the council said.
Le Repentir Cemetery is one such site and it has been in use since 1993. It was thought to be the most feasible location after most of the other large, open spaces had either been previously used or were not available, the release said. At the start of operations it was considered a demonstration facility and was projected to be in use for two years. “Roadways were constructed, a drainage system established, the site was secured (utilizing the natural barrier provided by the drainage canals and the vegetation that surrounded the site, as well as posting security personnel from the constabulary, and a private security firm to protect the site),” the Council said.
As the problems associated with solid waste management became more obvious the Council started an aggressive programme to address the issue and it has encouraged and facilitated several studies aimed at finding a viable solution. Further, with strong advocacy of the Georgetown Municipality, government was able to secure assistance from the Inter-American Development Bank in financing a project aimed at improving environmental conditions at Le Repentir, strengthening the Council’s capacity to manage solid waste and encouraging behavioural chance among citizens and other waste generators.
According to the Council, the Haags Bosch facility should be available by mid-year. BK International and Puran Brothers have been awarded the contract to build the site which is being done according to internationally recognised standards. The Council’s annual revenue is about $1.2 billion while its expenditure is over $2 billion. It said it is therefore challenged to provide all the expected services to the city.