Arson suspected in Retirement landfill fires

Claudia Gardner. Assignment Coordinator

WESTERN BUREAU:

Regional Operations Manager for the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), Eifert Daley, has expressed concern about the number of fires at the Retirement Landfill in St James, which he says appear to be acts of arson.

Daley made his comments during the Regular Monthly Meeting of the St James Parish Council last Thursday.

"Your worship, this is a very serious situation, and any fire that is started and gets out of control, (even) if we use the entire budget that we have, we are not going to be able to put it out as quickly as possible," he told Montego Bay Mayor Glendon Harris.

Daley said in the recent past, some acts of sabotage had resulted in significant damage to heavy equipment at the landfill and were causing serious health hazards to persons in the Bogue community and neighbouring areas in the city.

FEEL THE IMPACT

"So I rise to ask for your help, your worship, to somehow sensitise these individuals. The fact is that when we put out a fire, the remnants of the related smoke affect people at Bogue. Because unless there is some wind that comes to remove that smoke quickly, they will feel the impact for an extended period of time," Daley said.

In response, Harris said stringent measures would have to be taken to deal with persons who, for whatever reasons, were setting fires to the landfill.

"In most countries around the world, the landfill is a sterile area. What step or steps are being taken to bring our landfill to become a sterile area if those who are cohabiting with the landfill cannot cooperate to ensure the good running of the landfill? One, it can be fenced. Two, the entire property there is the property of the St James Parish Council, therefore, if those persons cannot enhance the operation, then they will be excluded from the operation," Harris said.

"There is many a talk, but no action. The time has come now, where, as a country, as a parish, as a nation, we cannot afford these negatives. So it's either one or the other. They enhance it, or they lose it," the Mayor said.