Gov Modernize – By Deslyn A Joseph
Gov Modernize Waste Management
The Government of Antigua and Barbuda is moving to implement modern waste disposal mechanisms and upgrade infrastructure at the Cooks Landfill following a recent environmental incident. The announcement was made last week by Maurice Merchant, Director-General of Communications in the Prime Minister’s Office, during the post-Cabinet media briefing.
The briefing addressed a recent overflow at the landfill’s mangrove area, which he clarified was caused by “leachate”, a byproduct of waste rather than purely waste oil.
“The incident occurred after two inches of rainfall overwhelmed the capacity of the storage area. While a private company previously utilized the majority of the nation’s waste oil to generate new products, the current system at Cooks requires more modern equipment to manage waste oil disposal effectively,” Merchant explained.
“In response to the situation, the Cabinet met with the General Manager of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) to discuss urgent improvements where he reported that the current landfill has passed its usable time, leading the government to actively pursue new technology and the construction of new dams to increase capacity,” he added, while confirming that the Cabinet is prepared to invest in two major new developments for the site: a new sewage plant and a waste oil plant.
The recovery and monitoring efforts involve a multi-agency coordination between the NSWMA, the National Office of Disaster Services (NODS), the Central Board of Health, the Department of the Environment, and the Ministry of Social Transformation. Analytical services have recommended long-term monitoring of the area, which includes continuous water testing given the site’s location within a watershed.
“Until these tests confirm the area is safe, the government is maintaining a strict advisory. The public must continue to follow the current restrictions, which prohibit fishing and the consumption of any products harvested from the affected area. The lifting of this advisory will depend on the results of the ongoing monitoring and treatment actions,” he concluded.
