A solution has been found to fix the pungent odours and billowing smoke emanating from the illegal dump at Lower Estate, St George.
But residents have been cautioned that relief will not come quickly and they will experience some discomfort in the early stages.
The assurances came from programme director in the Ministry of the Environment and National Beautification Ricardo Marshall, who is also chairman of the technical committee established to find a solution to the years-old issues affecting residents.
During a townhall meeting on Sunday, Marshall told the scores of residents gathered that they had found a way to eliminate the persistent burning taking place at the illegal dump.
He said in collaboration with PAHO [Pan American Health Organisation] air quality tests would be conducted to find out exactly what was being given off by the site right now.
Marshall told the residents they may be asked to give hair or blood samples to determine the levels of chemicals in their body and in the air.
He explained that one of the first things that needed to be done was to cut off the supply of air and water to the fire burning beneath the dump.
Marshall said while that might sound like a simple exercise it was not.
“What we are proposing to do is that along the corner is to dig down to a depth of about 10 feet and take out what is there and go back from the wall an additional 15 or 20 feet so that we can get down in there and see what is going on. We are then going to compact that area in there and shore up the sidewalls to make it safe for persons and equipment to operate in there and then we are going to line the vertical walls with clay,” Marshall said.
He said they would also be identifying other hot spots in an attempt to drive out as much as the air as possible.
However, he said that work would come at a price.
“It sounds simple but it is difficult work and once it is being done, I am not here to fool anybody, you are going to get smoke and odours. Once you disturb garbage that is sitting and settled you are going to get those sorts of challenges.
“Once that work is going on you are going to have some issues and some disruption…” Marshall pointed out.
He said a recommendation had been made to try to remove all of the garbage from the illegal dump. That was not feasible, he noted, as they were “hundreds of tons” of garbage at the site and trying to move it may create additional challenges.
“We are trying to address the environmental issues while disturbing as little of the existing settled garbage as possible,” he pointed out.
Minister of Health and Wellness Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic said it was Government’s intention to start as soon as possible.
He said though, it was up to the residents to determine when that work would begin.
“Naturally Christmas is coming up and we did not want to go with a work plan that did not involve you and that is really one of the things that I would like to discuss here this evening,” he said.
The minister said the hosting of the townhall meeting had been delayed as a decision was made not to hold it during the recent by-election in St George North.
