Nevis Solid Waste Management Authority commissions new tirebaler

Discarded tires on Nevis will soon be put to use thanks to a new Encore Systems Tirebaler at the Long Point Landfill. The US $60, 000 piece of new equipment sponsored by the Canada Fund and the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) was just commissioned by Nevisian Minister of Health Hon. Hensley Daniel.

The tirebaler was accessed through a collaborative partnership conceived by the Nevis Solid Waste Management Authority with the assistance of the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society who contacted the Canada Fund. The Four Seasons Resorts Estates provided transportation and paid the freight from Miami to Nevis.

Minister Daniel referred to the partnership as a move embraced by the NIA, who had endeavoured to marry its resources with that of the community, the corporate community and civic organizations to develop the island.

He said ultimately, all who lived on Nevis should have a solid interest to ensure that the island was esthetically appealing particularly as tourism was a mainstay of the island's economy.

"When we market the country we don't just sell a villa, we sell environment. In selling the environment we need to know that we are selling a safe and secure environment which is healthy.

"So if we are going to continue to make the island attractive to visitors and high end visitors in particular we have to promote this kind of partnership," he said.

The Minister said it was important to bear in mind that the tirebaler came at a time when there was an increase in the number of vehicles on Nevis and the incidence of abandoned tires was up.

He explained that the new equipment which also had the ability to compress plastic and cardboard material would help to eradicate breeding grounds for mosquitoes and also provide the opportunity for the Authority to engage others who were involved in recycling and as such extend the life of the landfill.

Manager of the Authority Ms. Carlyn Lawrence indicated that the need for a tire baler was realized in 2007 but there had been many setbacks. However, the Authority had planned to use the baled tires on local soil erosion projects and also to divert the waste for recycling.

Not withstanding, she described as another excellent benefit, the elimination of a mosquito habitat for breeding because baled tires could not catch water.

Ms. Lawrence thanked all those who made it possible for making the tire baler available to the Authority.

Other remarks came from Executive Director of the NHCS Mr. John Guilbert, General Manager of the Four Seasons Resorts Estates Ms. Martha Isbister and Mr. Dick Charlebois of Encore Systems in Minnesota.

Nevis receives new garbage truck from their Social Security Board

Nevis' Ministry of Health was the recipient of a brand new garbage truck, which was funded by the St. Christopher and Nevis Social Security Board.

The keys to the US$142,000 (EC$384,000) Mack truck, were handed over to Minister of Health in the Nevis Island Administration Hon. Hensley Daniel by Director of the St. Christopher and Nevis Social Security Board Mrs. Sephlin Lawrence. The important ceremony was held at their Low Ground Landfill late July.

Mr. Daniel said it was no surprise that Social Security engaged the Ministry of Health since its contributions came from workers

“The Ministry of Health has an interest and a responsibility to ensure that workers are healthy so that when workers are healthy they will work and by working they will contribute to Social Security so this is in a way an investment in the workers of the country to ensure that they remain healthy because we want to make sure that garbage is properly disposed off and in addition to that they have an interest in the aesthetic beauty of the country.

“If the country is beautiful the visitors [will] come. The people who work in tourism they will get more work and they will contribute to Social Security. So I want to thank them for being in that philosophical mindset. This is not something that is Social Security over here and health over there but Social Security and Health are intertwined,” he said.

The Minister also made the point that in Third World countries contributions of that nature were often referred to as gifts but they were not because they were derived from workers contributions therefore they should be maintained and should be treated as though they were personal.

Mr. Daniel explained that the Nevis Island Administration through the Ministry of Health did not approach an overseas friendly country for funds to purchase the truck but instead sought to forge a long and fruitful partnership with the Social Security Board.

“What we have done is to seek to build a partnership with Social Security to see if we can do things locally and I am particularly happy that in 1978 when Social Security started I was just about beginning to work with the public service and there was so much opposition to Social Security because nobody wanted their contribution to come out.

“I think more than anything, the institution [Social Security] has demonstrated its commitment to the public. We can look around and see investments in housing, we see investment in education through scholarships and now of course as the Minister of Health, I have to make sure they tip the balance to health as well and so we look forward to a long and productive relationship with Social Security,” he said.

Chairman of the Social Security Board Mr. Halva Hendrickson said the funding came from part of the institution’s annual contribution which was made to both Nevis and St. Kitts in the health services and it was their way of giving back to the people.

Mr. Hendrickson also noted that St. Kitts had faced a similar problem where the garbage trucks had gone bad and private persons had been hired to collect garbage. Nonetheless, he said Nevis was ahead in their request for a new garbage truck.

“In fact in St. Kitts we have a similar problem where our garbage trucks have gone bad and they had to hire some private people but they have not come to us yet but it looks as though Nevis is more on the ball because Nevis is now here [ahead] and they have their garbage truck.

“I suppose what will happen in the end, is that somebody might have to come and say just as Nevis has cleared the way St. Kitts will have to clear the way and follow. So we are very happy to be here and we expect that this truck will be used for the benefit of the people of Nevis,” he said.

Meantime, while she thanked Mr. Daniel and the Social Security board for the new garbage truck, Ms. Carlyn Lawrence Director of the Nevis Solid Waste Management Authority explained that unlike the previous garbage trucks, the new one had had a greater capacity to meet the needs of a growing island.

“Waste management is a new thing for us on these small islands. It’s a progression into keeping up with the latest technology and the latest equipment available and so we are very happy to have the truck and we want to say thank you and give you our assurance that we will do everything that we can to take good care of it and keep it going for as many years as we can keep it going for.

“We got this truck because we needed the size, the island is growing and there is expansion everyday. [The truck] has the capacity of containing 25 yards of waste [because of its] compaction. So it can clean an entire parish without having to make a second trip. We are going to ensure that responsible people drive it and that we take good care of what has been offered to us,” she said.

The ceremony was chaired by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Chairman of the Nevis Solid Waste Management Authority Mrs. Joslyn Liburd, Deputy Chairman of the St. Christopher and Nevis Social Security Board His Excellency Mr. Steve Rensford, Assistant directors (Nevis) Mr. Elvin Bailey and Mr. Vernel Powell and Members of the Nevis Solid Waste Management Authority Board Ms. Hope Merchant and Mr. Ron Daniel.