By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE Minnis administration has announced plans to pursue the “deconstruction and proper engineering” of the New Providence Landfill in response to a 28-page report compiled by officials from the Pan-American and World Health Organisations earlier this year.

The government also pledged to increase security and expand equipment for staff at the landfill.

In a statement accompanying the official release of that report late last week, the new FNM government laid out several initiatives it plans to pursue both in the short and long-term as it looks to remediate ongoing issues at the site.

A joint statement by Health Minister Dr Duane Sands and Environment Minister Romauld Ferreira noted that in an effort to be transparent, the new government made a decision to release the preliminary PAHO/WHO report, which the former administration “received but did not release.”

The ministers said the document has now been released “so that the Bahamian people are aware of the environmental and health implications from the recent landfill fire.”

The statement indicated that the government, among other things, will look to develop a communications programme in consultation with the community and conduct awareness meetings with affected individuals and communities to understand the environmental and health implications of exposure from the landfill so that they can comply with the required standardised health checks.

Additionally, the government has announced plans to resume training by the Department of Environmental Health Services (DEHS) of workers at the landfill and include refresher courses.

Workers at the landfill were previously trained in handling hazardous waste and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) under the Solid Waste Management Project.

It was also revealed that the government would enhance security at the landfill, as it looks to provide the resources necessary to have pay loaders and protective equipment for first responders to fight fires that may occur in the future and to reduce the likelihood of future fires.

It was also noted that the government would study the model of the landfill in Grand Bahama and other dumpsites to devise a feasible plan for the New Providence Landfill. Once this plan has been agreed, a new request for proposal for the management of the landfill will be issued, the statement said.

Among its medium-term goals, the government said it would move to develop emergency plans in consultation with the communities to respond to events and a national communication campaign to discourage the use of private wells with the assistance of the Water and Sewerage Corporation.

With respect to its long-term plans at the landfill, the government’s release noted plans to remediate the septage and sludge handling facility that is located next to the landfill to ensure proper functioning and install ambient air monitoring to better assess the impact on the environment and human health.

Also mentioned among the government’s long-term initiatives are plans to develop policies and regulations for non-recyclable, non-decomposable and hazardous waste and pursue the deconstruction and proper engineering of the entire landfill.

The release stated: “Residents of the neighbouring communities, including a representative sample of school-aged children, will receive regularly scheduled medical checkups. The health team will work with the Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC) to ensure water safety and no contamination of the water source.”

The release added: “The monitoring team of the Department of Public Health responded in the aftermath of the (March) fire to the immediate concerns at the Flamingo Gardens and South Beach Clinics. These clinics will remain the primary facilities for the management of health issues related to the landfill fire.

“The main health concern was the result of smoke inhalation with respiratory difficulties that resolved in a short period of time. All other medical conditions, including chronic non-communicable diseases, non-traumatic injuries were treated appropriately at the clinic.

“No one who was referred required hospitalisation. We wish to inform the public that the Ministry of Health is working closely with the Ministry of the Environment and Housing and other government agencies to monitor the effects of the landfill on the health of our communities.

“The Ministry of Health and the Department of Public Health will continue to monitor the health situation in the neighbouring communities for any possible effects related to the landfill. We have already noted respiratory difficulties and have screened individuals for skin reactions and the possible ill effects of water borne illnesses.”

The statement concluded: “The government will continue to work with all affected persons to ensure that all efforts are made to address the landfill matter and no stone will be left unturned to mitigate the ongoing challenges.”

PAHO/WHO in its report classified the New Providence landfill as an “urgent public health hazard” and called for several “short-term” initiatives to help stabilise conditions at the site.

A team of experts visited the landfill during the period April 4 to 7, 2017.

A preliminary report was received at the Ministry of Environment on April 28, 2017—about two weeks before the general election—according to the statement.

However, the former Christie administration did not release the report and it is unclear why.

The report was prepared after a massive fire at the landfill, which started on March 5 and lasted approximately three weeks.

The blaze caused the evacuation of residents of Jubilee and Victoria Gardens and the closure of several schools and businesses.