By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Deputy Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

IN JUST six months the new managers of New Providence Landfill have raised the site to international standards and nearly eradicated the putrid smell and fly infestation that once defined the area.

More importantly, Providence Advisors/WRDG Consortium and its partners have virtually obliterated the chances of major fires erupting at the site. The last landfill fire happened in 2018.

Timothy Hodge, CEO and Founder of Strata Sustainability, who is the project manager for the landfill, now to be known as New Providence Ecology Park, admitted that there have been small fires, but crews constantly work to ensure that these smaller fires do not become major incidents.

Part of the strategy involves using a retardant on highly flammable types of waste such as tyres to ensure fires do not rapidly spread whenever they ignite. These tyres are shredded for other uses, including sub grading the roads in the park, among other things. They’ve also ensured there are sufficient buffer spaces between the site and residential communities.

Garbage is further properly sorted as trucks and residents bringing in waste know exactly where they should dump it.

Overall, Mr Hodge said there was a focus on recycling any materials that can be reused and repurposed. However it will be years before the site is ready to contribute to the country’s renewable energy needs, he said.

Officials of the NPEP hosted a press conference and site tour Friday benchmarking its six months of steady progress.

NPEP Chairman Felix Stubbs said the progress had brought new life into a once malignant landfill.

He said: “We have cleaned and organised the park. We have created roads and established specific treatment areas for various types of waste received. Safety and security are paramount within our operations. We have implemented controlled site access, 24-hour security patrols and traffic controls.

“Our goal is to develop an aesthetically pleasing 160 acre ecology and industrial park. We aim to be a beacon for the region and drive the movement toward more sustainable, environmentally friendly waste management practices throughout the Bahamas.”

NPEP in future plans to launch key initiatives that will reap economic social and environmental gains for generations to come.

This includes a recycling facility that can process all recyclables gathered across the nation, including cans, bottles and metal.

Additionally a large scale composition operation, as well as a concrete/demolition debris recovery operation are in the pipeline.