The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune News Editor

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Abaco Chamber of Commerce president accused successive administrations of ignoring health and safety issues related to debris management after another fire erupted on a debris site over the weekend.

Daphne DeGregory-Miaoulis said a bushfire that spread to a debris site sent toxic fumes billowing into the air, frustrating weary residents.

“On Saturday, a bush fire was discovered close to the Treasure Cay airport,” she said in a statement yesterday. “The fire was controlled by both the Cooperstown Fire Brigade and units from the Treasure Cay Volunteer Fire Dept. Unfortunately, as the day progressed, the winds caused the fire to spread to the Treasure Cay Debris Management Site, which has sat unmanaged, unsecured and unsupervised for many months.”

“The Abaco chamber along with many other concerned community groups have been asking government for a plan for the debris management sites for months without response. We warned of exactly this kind of situation occurring which is likely to have a serious, negative affect on residents’ respiratory health along with unknown damage to the Abaco water well field located less than a mile from the fire.

“Successive governments are ignoring the issue to the detriment of people’s health, safety and living. We call for immediate response from government to deal with this issue and a similar one also brewing at the Spring City Debris Management Site near Marsh Harbour.”

After a recent fire in Spring City, Environment Minister Vaughn Miller told The Tribune he planned to discuss the debris management issue with the relevant people. He said he thought the matter had already been dealt with. Mr Miller could not be reached for comment up to press time yesterday.

Roscoe Thompson, chairman of the Marsh Harbour/Spring City Township, echoed Mrs DeGregory-Miaoulis’ concern about the hazardous materials emitted from the fires.

“We’re talking every bit of debris that you could believe from Hurricane Dorian is stored at these sites,” he said yesterday. “Spring City laydown site has security and management. From what I understand, Treasure Cay does not have any security or management up there in that regards. It’s just been sitting dormant in that capacity.

“But here is one of our biggest concerns. The government needs to deal with this because it is hazardous. Think about it: plastic, asbestos, shingles, fibreglass. The respiratory problems it can cause, especially if you’re exposed to it for a long time, could be detrimental. The firefighters that went up there, even they were saying how their throats were burning from it.”