Over the last weekend, Anguillians all over the world were glued to the television screen watching our homegrown sprinter, Zharnel Hughes, perform as he broke the Jamaican indoor record for the 100 metres sprint. His performance made us all proud. When we reflect on the almost primitive track and field conditions on which he began his training we can only marvel at the natural ability and talent that drove him to overcome all of these shortcomings. Usain Bolt and the rest of the Jamaican sprinters have been dominating the world for many years, but already patriotic Anguillians have begun to conjure up visions of an Olympic medalist in this area of athletic competition. Based on Zharnel’s spirit it is definitely not inconceivable. All of this is yet another reminder that amidst the negative commentary about our young people there is a strong promise that our patrimony is secure. I congratulate his parents; his family; his teachers; his mentors; and his coaches for a job well done. But it is all about Zharnel. Go! Zharnel Go Continue! to make us all proud.
But apparently while Zharnel was blazing the tracks in a stadium in Jamaica a tiny blaze at the Corito Landfill Site was probably on the way to becoming a mammoth conflagration. By the early afternoon of Saturday March 29th, a mounting plume of heavy black smoke appeared to be covering Corito; the Forest; Long Ground; Statia Valley; Little Harbour and George Hill. On closer inspection, however, the fire itself appeared to be mainly restricted to a section of the Landfill but the smoke’s odor and fumes affected many homes and businesses in those vicinities. I stood among the many amateur firefighting specialists who had gathered along the Corito Road to watch the flames from where we assumed was a relatively safe distance. Our curiosity, of course, dismissing the possibility that a much larger explosion could have posed grave danger, even at that “safe range”, given the proximity of so many combustible products in the area.
But while the Corito Road was becoming a tourist viewing point, and a gathering for hundreds of amateur firefighting specialists, the Anguilla Fire Department was doing its job, at an extremely dangerous “range”, containing the fire. Inevitably, as things progressed, the army of amateur specialists on the “safe side” of the site were spouting and shouting all kinds of advice and criticisms to the beleaguered firefighters who were doing their best to avoid the fire spreading to the adjacent areas. The conditions of the surrounding area, with piles of tires and dry brush, were in effect fuel for a much more catastrophic event that could have engulfed the entire neighbourhood as well as much further afield. And the Fire Department and the private contractors who took part in the exercise must be commended highly for whatever they did to avert what could certainly have been a major disaster.
Eventually, the authorities did the correct thing and restricted the spectators and amateur firefighting specialists alike behind a makeshift barricade of traffic cones. It may have created considerable business for the Green House Bar, on the hill, because its beverages awoke the amateur forensic specialists (many of whom were formerly amateur firefighting specialists) who came up with several theories of how the fire started. These theories ranged from accidental; to criminal; to chemical; to sabotage; and inevitably to political. It was then that it occurred to me that my article on the waste-to-energy proposal in The Anguillian of March 21, 2014 (that is, just over a week ago) could make me a “person of interest” or even a prime suspect for some of these theories. In fact, shortly after I experienced that epiphany, one of the amateur forensic specialists said as much.
But, perhaps, there are several lessons to be learned about the fire at the Landfill Site that could be useful for the future. The overarching lesson, of course, being that such projects/facilities can be extremely dangerous. It should be noted that the fire did not take place where the used tires were piled, or the paper products were buried, but rather where the metal and old vehicles were deposited – items that one would have assumed are less combustible than by-products of oil and wood. It means, therefore, that we need to be very serious about the way we manage the site and should not be trying “to cut corners” in terms of the resources needed to ensure its safety. At the end of the day the Government of Anguilla must take some responsibility for what occurred last Saturday. To take responsibility does not necessarily mean that it is because of something they did but rather because of something they did not do. It is clear that poor management of the site can lead to fires but it can also lead to the pollution of the aquifer and the ocean; the spread of diseases through flies and rodents; explosions; and the leakage of poisonous and toxic materials and fumes into environment.
In this context, we must all be concerned that for more than eighteen months the Government has not yet awarded a long-term contract to an operator for the Landfill Site. The site has been operating on a month-to-month arrangement for the entire period and decisions must, as a consequence, be made on an ad hoc basis. The Environmental Health Department is not assured of a proper budget so, as a consequence, its hands are tied in terms of making long term decisions for the proper management of the site. Meanwhile, Government and Government Ministers are having ongoing disputes with contractors and staff in the various Departments about critical issues affecting the landfill operations. It is a garbage or waste disposal site but it does not have to be a MESS.
This leads me back to the proposed waste-to-energy proposal that appears to be the Government’s response to our high electricity bills. I again must admonish the Minister and his colleagues to take a cautious approach to this proposal. There are too many risks and too many unanswered questions. The very fact that we had this incident at the Landfill Site, last weekend, should alert us to the hazards involved in such an operation. And furthermore should reinforce the point I made in my article two weeks ago that we do not have a clue as to what is buried, and where, at Corito. Why should we be creating an energy production system from finite and hazardous sources when we have infinite and safe sources like wind, sun and sea to do so? It is a “no-brainer”!
But let me lead you back to the forensic specialists and their political theory that I had at first taken to be a sick joke. In fact, it was not until I listened to the innuendo of a talk show host, last evening, that I realized that there was an audience for such nonsensical theories. It was reported to me that it was being said that I had sabotaged the dumpsite so that the Minister would not have enough waste to carry out his energy project. I know that over the years the most ridiculous accusations have been directed at me that I have dismissed as not believable. However, on this occasion I do not intend to take that chance. These specialists need to consider that one or two days burning cannot put a dent in the amount of garbage needed in the proposed project on a daily basis. Any rational thinking saboteur would therefore have burnt the more combustible waste like oil and wood-based products rather than hard steel and other metals. Fires at landfill sites are common occurrences – they seldom become catastrophic unless a site is not properly managed. The Government needs to make the management of the Landfill Site a top priority. Failure to do so could have serious social and economic consequences.
But, just to make myself clear, let me advise the Chief Minister that what happened last Saturday at Corito was not a drill. It was the real thing. It so happened that we were fortunate that we were able to contain it, or it could have indeed been catastrophic. However, it may be time for the Department of Disaster Management to consider formulating a drill for the residents of the Landfill Site environs in the circumstances of such an event. Hopefully, the Chief Minister will get this one right. It was not a Drill! It was not a Tsunami! It was a Landfill Fire!
