Prime Minister Perry Christie.
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Perry Christie said mistakes have been made for “over a generation” when it comes to handling solid waste material at the New Providence Landfill, adding yesterday that he will now play a direct role in his government’s newest effort to address the problem.
His comment came during a press conference at his office where he and other officials discussed the New Providence Landfill fire that has forced nearby families to evacuate as authorities struggle to deal with its unprecedented scope.
Amid talk about the government’s ongoing process to select a partner to manage the landfill, Mr Christie was asked to reflect on his administration’s initial attempt this term to address the issue, namely, its agreement with Renew Bahamas, the company that pulled out of its contract with the government less than three years into their partnership, citing numerous challenges.
Critics of the administration have found fault with the government’s landfill policies in the wake of the recent fire, highlighting the Renew Bahamas experience.
“The reason why I am now engaged in the matter is because I need to have clearly a coordinated and integrated approach to the right set of decisions being made,” Mr Christie said. “Clearly as a government we have an obligation to our citizenry to learn from mistakes that have been made in the past and over a whole generation mistakes have been made with respect to solid waste. We have a real challenge because we’re an island nation and as we grapple with New Providence we must bear in mind that the growing sophistication of destinations like Bimini, Harbour Island in itself feeding North Eleuthera, Exuma, that there is going to be a requirement for effective management of solid waste disposal sites in these islands and we cannot tarry any longer with respect to having a management team with expertise and resources under contract by way of partnership with us because the challenge for this country is that we have to duplicate resources in all the islands where our people live.
“You can anticipate therefore that I shall be directly involved with the minister in moving this process very quickly to a conclusion,” Mr Christie said.
For his part, Environment and Housing Minister Kenred Dorsett defended the government’s Renew Bahamas decision - even saying he viewed the partnership as a success.
“When we ventured into the relationship with Renew we indicated that it was a pilot project,” Mr Dorsett said, adding that the company’s service was provided “at no cost to the people of the Bahamas.”
“The National Energy Task Force, which was assembled by the prime minister when we were looking at the whole energy sector reform looked at the issue of waste-to energy,” he added. “At the time government had over 67 unsolicited proposals for waste-to-energy. That task force which was headed by my (Permanent Secretary) Camille Johnson and the Member of Parliament for Bamboo Town who was then the Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Works (Renward Wells) made a recommendation that waste-to-energy would not be something that they would recommend the government look at but we needed immediate attention to recycling and remediation of the landfill.
“Renew was selected out of that process and by and large we feel that the project was very successful,” Mr Dorsett continued. “Indeed, throughout the Caribbean region they commended us for being the country that created the first large scale commercial material for recycling facility. But with the fire that then consumed that MRF (Materials Recovery Facility) a few years ago, things went downhill for Renew. And as they admitted to the public, their fiscal regime was not which allowed them to sustain itself.”
Renew Bahamas was awarded its contract without the government putting out a public tender via a specially designed request for proposal (RFP), a fact that drew criticism at the time the contract was awarded.
With respect to its newest effort to a solution to the landfill’s woes, Mr Dorsett said the administration is in discussions with a private company not only to execute a remediation plan prepared by the engineering firm Caribbean Coastal Services Ltd, but to also fund the scheme through a private public partnership.
“Whomever is selected, it’s going to be a two-fold approach: operations and remediation,” Mr Dorsett said. “The full scope of remediation is incredibly vast, obviously dealing with a 400-acre footprint of a landfill with some constructed cells and some dump areas.”
Comments
happyfly 7 years, 1 month ago
Direct role means he will now encourage the numbers boys and the Chinese to come up with a way to privatize the dump in a way that costs the Bahamian public a lifetime of debt and makes him loads of cash on the side
concernedcitizen 7 years, 1 month ago
Exactly but he will take so long to do it there will be many more major fires ,and the rooms at Baha mar will smell like soot and ash
HarryWyckoff 7 years, 1 month ago
It's already costing us in the Environmental Levy tax we've been paying for years, that was introduced by the PLP specifically for improving the dump.
We need to demand our money back, as this 'tax' was just another way for the PLP crooks to destroy the economy and get rich in the process.
Sickened 7 years, 1 month ago
I like his very clear and detailed plan to resolve this multi-decade problem. I think we should give him an opportunity to implement this great plan and grant him 5 more years at the helm. What say you??? ROFL!!!
TheMadHatter 7 years, 1 month ago
Perhaps the political party that promises the people to BEGIN tackling the country's problems exactly 4 1/2 years after they win .... will be the one the people will choose. Then again, they may choose the other party who helped drive up our debt to now near 7 billion. To do otherwise would leave them with nothing to complain about over a game of dominos.
concernedcitizen 7 years, 1 month ago
2 billion of the debt is FNM and a lot was spent to stimulate during a recession ,,the other 6 billion , and the near half billion out the front door of BOB is not included , belongs to the PLP
ohdrap4 7 years, 1 month ago
I am sure has a wide choice of garbage men to choose from to name as the TRASH TZAR.
B_I_D___ 7 years, 1 month ago
Just let the damn local consortium of waste management companies do what they have been asking to do for years and manage/improve the site. Enough of this crap. This is no longer a way to scheme and figure out how best to line your pockets. There are good honest people out there...locals...that can and will do it...starting IMMEDIATELY.
Seaman 7 years, 1 month ago
So sorry Mr PM, You will do nothing because you and your clowns are going to be voted out. If the trend continues as it is in Abaco and Grand Bahama, with all the PLP generals and supports looking else where to vote, the PLP in in a world of hurt. I'm told the MP for Bakers Bay ( Mr Ranardo Curry ) is gone into hiding. I'm also told he wants to back out but the top brass has told him to stay. Cut A$$ time for Bakers Bay MP. Comrade Tal......come on over .FNM 20 - 24 seats
sealice 7 years, 1 month ago
The first mistake was electing the PLP and it's gone downhill from there!!
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 1 month ago
@WellMuddaSick
You were 100% correct
"“You can anticipate therefore that I shall be directly involved with the minister in moving this process very quickly to a conclusion,” Mr Christie said."
Failure. When the Prime Minister has to be directly involved in every segment of the government portfolio he must realize he has an absolute failure of a cabinet. Which disaster will be enough?
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 1 month ago
What can you say? Crooked Christie truly makes for the saddest commentary on the very worst of mankind. He's inhumane by every definition!
Seaman 7 years, 1 month ago
Comrade Tal, What bout this dude Mr Omar Archer....... This dude for real or is he misinformed? If he is not telling the truth ..... Why has no one shut him up? What say you?
TalRussell 7 years, 1 month ago
Comrades! It's not true that we can keep our tourism industry jobs and remain recklessly close to calling the environment out for a fight. Not only government but people and businesses, must stop being careless with our environment and begin to take greater cleaner care" of our Bahamaland's - lands, seas, beaches and air.
Sickened 7 years, 1 month ago
So then, you're not voting PLP?
TalRussell 7 years, 1 month ago
Comrade Sickened, if we as a people are incapable to remove politics from the environment and crime - we all will soon be scavenging the dump to put food on we tables. It is so damn close, it should scare hell out all us.
TheMadHatter 7 years, 1 month ago
I see a lot of people complaining on here but are they going to vote DNA? NO - they will vote for the SAME OLD two parties.
Result? Same old same old.
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 1 month ago
I dont think Bran has it together. There's a narrative that Chris Mortimer is the brains behind the organization, I don't know if that's true or not, but if it is, it's a pity he didn't put himself forward for leader. Brans decision to accept that senate seat confirmed all my suspicions about him. Rash, power hungry, not insightful
Sickened 7 years, 1 month ago
Just give Perry the finger. WARNING: don't wave it too close to his butt as he will most likely want to mount it.
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 1 month ago
Didn't they know this already from May 2012? This is 4.5 years later
Honestman 7 years, 1 month ago
"You can anticipate therefore that I shall be directly involved with the minister in moving this process very quickly to a conclusion,” Mr Christie said.
And we are supposed to be encouraged by this???
TalRussell 7 years, 1 month ago
by TalRussell
themessenger 7 years, 1 month ago
Tal, if you think the average D average Bahamian gives a shit about the environment just take a leisurely drive through any street in almost any community in this disgustingly filthy little country, Nassau in particular, the give me your honest thoughts on the matter. If I could have a dollar for each bottle or Styrofoam container I could pick up every day I'd have as much money as Nygaard. On second thoughts, don't be honest with me, just tell me the truth.
jusscool 7 years, 1 month ago
Why can't the government of the Bahamas have a proper landfill site like the one on Grand Bahama? Why can't the government of the Bahamas ask for help from those in Grand Bahama? Is it too hard to ask? Or are they to lazy to do this?
BMW 7 years, 1 month ago
Juscool, I caught a bit of wendell jones ( SINGING FOR SUPPER JONES) talk show the other day an d a caller did mention the fact that here in Freeport there is a functioning land fill that has not had a fire ever at the present location. Caller then said they should talk with the company running the landfill to which he became indignant. Typica!!!
TalRussell 7 years, 1 month ago
Comrade BMW, As one having piloted aircraft into Freeport - let me assure you that Freepoort dump, like all dumps, must deal with fires but unlike Nassau's to their credit are well considered to be well managed.
Nassau's dump has been allowed to become a basket case poor management under PM's Pindling, Papa Hubert and now Christie.
jusscool 7 years, 1 month ago
Another huge asset of our landfill is the huge supply of Methane Gas that's available there for positive use.
OldFort2012 7 years, 1 month ago
Running a dump is a very complicated business. Far more complicated than, say, writing computer operating systems or building aircraft. It is a relatively new business, as it has been going on for only about 3000 years. It is quite obviously beyond the intellectual capacity or experience of any local and that should have been clear from the start. We need to put it out to international tender and hope that a Chinese company gets the contract. Cost immaterial.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 1 month ago
How can the GBPA run a dump more efficiently than the Bahamas Government?????
Ingraham had a good plan for the dump, but the PLP has too many contracts to award to satisfy their cronies ............. that is the problem with this present government
TalRussell 7 years, 1 month ago
Comrade Sheeprunner12, believe the facts okay, Papa Hubert and his MP and Minister Health Minnis, had no dump plan - none. Their red regime received millions for the dump and not one red penny the millions was spent to prevent dump fires.
Minnis, has been a MP for 9 flipping years and he and years of dump fires are alike - hot air.
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