PRESS CONFERENCE

BRADLEY B. ROBERTS, MP

GRANTS TOWN

ON

HAROLD ROAD DUMP SITE

OCTOBER 18, 2001

I am here this morning in my capacity as the Opposition Spokesperson on Health. I wish to point to yet another glaring example of mismanagement by this outgoing FNM Government.

You may recall that the House of Assembly on October 25, 1999 passed a Resolution approving the loan of $23,500,000 for the IDB for the purpose of providing funding to improve the Solid Waste Management Services for New Providence and ten Family Islands, namely Andros, Bimini, Cat Island, Eleuthera, Great Exuma, Grand Bahama, Inagua, Long Island and San Salvador. The loan also made provisions for:

A. Hazardous waste disposal;

B. Institutional support for the executing agency and studies; and

C. An environmental health education and awareness program

The FNM Government with much bravado conveyed to the Bahamian people in particular those who reside in the vicinity of the Harold Road Dump that it had resolved the long-standing problem at that site.

The reality is the new land fill program has created new problems which could seriously affect the water table in that area of New providence and the spread of disease via birds who frequent the Harold Road Dump Site and possibly endanger the lives of the Ministry of Health employees and others who frequent that site.

The Ministry of Health has failed to provide for the proper disposal of the leachate generated from the Government’s new Landfall Program at Harold Road. Leachate is the liquid that has percolated through the ground, such as water seeping through a sanitary landfall, wastes, pesticides or fertilizers. Leaching may occur in farming areas, feedlots and landfills and many result in hazardous substances entering surface water, ground water, or soil.

Provisions for leachate at the Harold Road landfill has failed dismally. The photos provided show very clearly the formation of ponds of leachate at the Dump Site. Young ducklings can be seen nesting in the ponds. The repugnant odor from the leachate is disgracefully offensive.

There also appears to be a major problem at the Water & Sewerage Corporation Sewer Treatment Facility located adjacent to the Harold Road Dump Site. I invite the Press to go and investigate.

It defies logic that after the expenditure of million of tax payers monies the new land fill system has failed in such a short time frame. Could it be a faulty design? And will the Minister of Health come clean and tell the Bahamian people, when and how will the Government correct this environmental disaster?

I am advised that the Sump Tank at the site has a capacity of 800 gallons. (SHOW PHOTO ON TANK OVERFLOWING)

Clearly this tank is too small to accommodate the high volume of garbage in New Providence. The Cesspit Tank vehicle is said to be inadequate. I was told that this problem was brought to the attention of officials at the Ministry of Health but to no avail.

In the meantime leachate is allowed to overflow from the Sump Tank directly onto the ground and resulting in the creation of leachate ponds at the Harold Road Dump site.

Our fragile water table is being seriously contaminated. Duck hunters should be forewarned, that they should be careful by ensuring that game ducks are free of contamination.

During the 2001/2000 Budget Debate on June 27, 2001 in the Senate my colleague, Senator Melanie Griffin made a number of startling disclosures on the Harold Road Dump Site. Thanks to the Bahama Journal there was some exposure on this matter. There was an Editorial calling for an independent investigation of the charges made. I invite the Press to revisit Senator Griffith’s critical disclosure on the Harold Road Land fill Program. I now provide copies of her address.

Whilst visiting the site this past Tuesday, October 16, 2001, I observed the following:

1. Scavengers are still present in large numbers at the site, contrary to the claim of the Minister of Health.

2. I counted over 100 stray dogs present at the site and was told that there were many more.

3. I saw a D-8 Tractor No. 4 (PHOTO PROVIDED) that was out of service. I am advised that an untrained temporary worker was allowed to operate the tractor. The engine and transmission was badly damaged. The repair cost I am advised will be in the tens of thousands of dollars. This is a flagrant waste of public funds. Funds that could be used to pay Caterpillar factory trained tractor operators at the Harold Road Dump site a decent wage.

After millions of borrowed funds have been expended at the Harold Road Land Fill, serious problems continue to besiege the Government on this program.

I invite the Press to investigate the Harold Road Dump Site and the Land Fill Program in the Family Islands. The people of Harbour Islands and Bimini have strongly complained about the disposal of garbage. I am obliged to ask the Honorable Minister of Health, Dr. Ronnie Knowles if the people of the Bahamas have received value for money following the expenditure of the sizable sum of $23,500,000 plus funds provided from the Public Treasury.