Find solutions to perennial Riverton dump smoke nuisance

THE EDITOR, Sir:

Once again, we have the perennial problem of the Riverton City dump fire poisoning the air and making residents in the surrounding areas flee their homes.

The dump is so near to the sea and the rivers. Should there not be permanent water pumps and fire hydrants or an overhead irrigation system placed strategically to combat fires when they occur?

We have noticed other countries laying criminal charges against engineers who do shoddy work. Should we not do the same to the technocrats who allow the Riverton City smoke to displace so many people?

City garbage dumps have always been placed in the wrong place. First, it was the Tinson Pen dump, which is now Kingston Wharves. The Riverton City dump, like all dumps, began in a small way and later developed into a huge problem.

It is creating a dam to prevent water flowing from the northern side of Spanish Town Road to the sea. It is likely that during flood rains, the Six Miles area to the Ferry River will become a lake. The dump is growing bigger every day.

The dump needs to be removed from Riverton City and taken, perhaps, to the Yallas salt pond. There, the garbage could be stored and incinerated using technology that would generate electricity. The gases given off from this technology would be no worse than burning coal.

I have copies of the design of an energy-from-waste-incinerator used in the Algonquin Power Plant in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, which can be available to anyone who might be interested.

Keith Hobbins

khobbins@cwjamaica.com