The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I write in response to the “Dump” fire which prompted a conversation on Guardian Radio, where a few statements were made that need correction. The first statement was concerning the ability of Bahamians to manage the “dump” (landfill), the second statement was, no Bahamians had come forward with a viable proposal to deal with the New Providence “dump”/landfill and the third statement was that waste to energy was not a viable solution and had not been proved “anywhere in the world” (or words to that effect) at least as far as the host was concerned.

Statement #1: How qualified are we to run our own landfill? Collectively, the four waste companies at the forefront of the Bahamian proposal have more than 115 years of experience in garbage collection, recycling and composting. Like the foreign company Renew Bahamas we would initially hire the necessary expertise while we trained our fellow Bahamians. Having been in and out of the landfill for more than 25 years with our trucks, we know what works and what doesn’t.

Two of the companies have recycling programmes, one for over 14 years (aluminium cans/Cans for Kids) and the other for six years (cardboard and cooking oil) and plastics #1, #2 and #5 have been recycled for over a year now. We have attended waste management and waste to energy seminars and conferences in Canada, USA and England for 20 years, all this experience and exposure allowed us to see what is possible and what can work for us.

Statement #2: Was a Bahamian Landfill Management proposal submitted? Over a six-year period starting in 2008, four established and proven Bahamian waste companies submitted both individually and then as a group (Waste Resources Development Group) fully researched, funded and viable proposals to take care of the New Providence landfill. The last joint proposal was presented first to the FNM Government and then the present PLP Government.

To ensure the proposal was of the highest standard we chose Mott MacDonald, an internationally recognised engineering firm (contracted at different times by both the FNM and the PLP administrations) to assist us. Mott MacDonald worked on the Abu Dhabi project for a sustainable city, which is where the environmental conference, that the Minister of Environment recently attended, was held. As professional Bahamian companies, we used our experiences of waste collection, recycling and disposal here in New Providence to help craft a plan that would fulfil all our waste disposal needs and requirements, in a viable and sustainable way.

Based on the viability of the proposal (which was confirmed by the financiers independent research), we received a commitment for full funding from a Bahamian investment firm held in high regard by the local and international financial world.

The proposal was and is designed to deal with both new garbage and old garbage. Where recycling made sense (green waste/organics, metals, glass, some plastics, C&D and hazardous waste) we proposed an infrastructure that would divert those items from the waste stream. The rest of the waste was to be made into an RDF (refuse derived fuel) and used for energy. The income from the sale of the energy would allow the landfill to become a viable entity instead of the GOB dependent creature it has traditionally been (and GOB is still absorbing costs associated with the landfill).

As Bahamians, we were particularly sensitive to the sustainability of what we proposed, we were adamant that the ownership and by extension the proceeds of the initiative should stay here and be spread fairly among all Bahamians.

We had hoped that both Governments would recognise the quality and comprehensiveness of the proposal we submitted and applaud the fact we had come together, despite being competitors, to solve a thorny problem for the greater good of the Bahamian people. As has been said by many before us, it is a sad moment in our 40-year history of Independence that Bahamians still cannot be recognised as experts in their own field and competent to execute a proposal in their own country.”

Statement #3: The Host’s assertion that as far as he knew, Waste to Energy has not worked anywhere in the world. In response to this statement, I would direct his attention to our large neighbour to the North, there as close as Palm Beach County in South Florida you have a Waste to Energy facility that has been operating for over 40 years and was recently retrofitted to increase its capacity and efficiency. By generating energy from the waste that cannot be recycled, Ten years ago, they were able to keep the tipping fees in that County down to $27 per ton as opposed to the $70 and upwards experienced in many other counties.

Recycling is alive and well in Palm Beach County and only the non-recyclates go to generate energy. Intense emissions cleaning equipment ensures that the facility’s emissions air quality is better than that of the surrounding environment. In comparison to the combustion of oil (BEC) and coal the Waste to Energy industry is light years ahead in pollution control. As always, there are naysayers “NIMBY” (not in my back yard), persons who constantly lobby against Waste to Energy but rarely does anyone come up with an alternative disposal method for those items that cannot be recycled and end up in the landfill.

In closing, I would like to add that at no time did our group ask for ownership of the landfill, we were also willing to give the tipping fees to the GOB and the ownership of the company was to be divided between the group of waste companies, the GOB (probably NIB) and the Bahamian public.

The Bahamian Group’s proposal is still alive and well. When compared to the contract signed with Renew Bahamas, our proposal offers a fully integrated waste management approach that can take care of everyday business while addressing capacity, leachate, gas and the fires that will remain unless we move to remediation, we just need the GOB to “believe in Bahamians”. In unity and mutual respect lies our strength as a nation.

GINNY McKINNEY

Nassau,

February, 2015.