Town Hall Meeting at Ellerton Pavilion on Wed. 04/02/2009

The St George South District Emergency Organisation with the Ministries of Environment & Health will be hosting a Town Hall meeting at the Ellerton Pavilion at 7:00 pm on Wednesday 4^th February 2009.

This meeting is for the following areas only – Lower Brighton; Waverley Cot; Mt Hill; Ellerton Development; Ellerton Housing Area; Ellerton, Good Intent; Eastlyn and the Bulkeley Terrace areas – persons from the community will be brought up to date on the best ways for combatting illegal dumping and the benefits of recycling.

Talks at the Ellerton Pavilion will be given by representatives from the Ministries of both Environment & Health.

This town hall meeting is for all residents only from – Lower Brighton; Waverley Cot; Mt Hill; Ellerton Development; Ellerton Housing Area; Ellerton, Good Intent; Eastlyn and the Bulkeley Terrace areas – they’re asked to make a special effort to attend the St Ellerton Pavilion at seven o’clock, Wednesday night on 4^th February 2009. Together, we can all keep Barbados clean!

BARBADOS' MINISTRY OF THE ENVIROMENT RELEASE – RE: OFFICIAL OPENING OF CITY DEPOT AND PUBLIC BATH, REED STREET

This opening holds a special significance for the Authority, as it enters its 40^th year of service to this country. The Authority’s mission is to create and sustain a clean environment aimed at improving the health and welfare of all Barbadians.

Government thanks the City depot staff for their hard work over the years operating under limited circumstances. Now that better facilities are available we know that you will continue to give good service. It is a joy to see how clean Bridgetown is kept by SSA workers from as early as 3:00 am. and stays clean until 7:00 am - but it is sad to see how dirty the City gets by 8:00 am, Barbadians need to be more considerate and keep Bridgetown tidy.

The public must also do their part to assist staff of the Authority in keeping Barbados clean. Barbados is our home and we should all take care of it for ourselves and visitors alike.

As most of the world experiences downturns in their economies, it is even more important for us to preserve the beauty of our island and keep it clean so that it remains a popular destination for visitors who seek a respite from hard times.

This depot is a part of our Government’s effort to ensure the workers of Bridgetown have pleasant and modern surroundings from which to operate.

Looking back momentarily… The City Depot was once housed at Temple Yard, where the Old Town Hall Centre is now located. The depot was then temporarily located to the old St Mary’s School. We want to thank the Anglican Church for renting us that location.

After years of seeking a permanent location one was found right here at Reed Street.

In 1997 a decision was made to construct a new depot and Kero Construction was awarded the contract to build this complex.

Having a depot located in Bridgetown is key to keeping the City clean. It allows push-carters to have easier access both to the streets and their headquarters.

The workers operate from here, and they are responsible for washing the streets and cleaning the drains of the City. It should also be noted Bridgetown has 13 collections per week - Monday to Saturday twice a day as well as on Sunday mornings.

This site was previously a bath which was operated by the Authority. This complex has all the latest amenities. We want those who will use the public bath to take very good care of it bearing in mind that any repairs will cost the taxpayer, and this means all of us. The City Depot and Public Bath is also showing the way forward in proper environmental practices by reusing the rainwater from the roof. Rainwater is stored in a reservoir at the rear of the compound and pumped out to wash down the dumpers and other vehicles at Reed Street.

Collecting and disposing of refuse is not just the job of a Sanitation worker. It is everyone cooperating together!

All City businesses need to remember they must flatten their boxes and bind them into bundles before disposal; alleyways need to be kept clear for the Authority’s vehicles and emergency vehicles such as Fire and Police to have easy access when they need to reach trouble spots in a hurry.

Broken glass should be wrapped in newspaper then bagged and placed in the middle of a refuse bag before disposal.

The SSA is concerned with finding adequate locations for stationary compactors, skips and bins within the City. We would like to work together with all interested parties in finding locations.

Over the last year, This Democratic Labour Party administration has provided more affordable housing for many Barbadians. This has led to more houses and developments across the island. As a result the Authority is constantly refining its collection routes. The Authority is working with all relevant Government agencies to maximise on the old routes and streamline new areas to ensure everyone gets two collections per week, although the statutory requirements are one (1) collection per week.

In an effort to improve its service the Authority is undertaking a number of initiatives:-

• The public bath at Speightstown is under renovation and is expected to be completed soon;

• The baths at Green Park Lane and King William Street will be demolished and new ones will be constructed during the next financial year.

• Re-training mechanics in fleet management systems;

• Ensuring that the roof of the Mechanical Workshop is repaired in this financial year;

• The refurbishment of cemeteries as part of heritage tourism in 2009-2010. This will also include repairs to the chapels at all five national cemeteries and horticulture training for staff.

• Conducting a survey of the current collection routes in an effort to improve collections;

• Acquisition of open-backed trucks to develop a regularised Bulky Waste collection.

On the topic of bulk waste, the Sanitation Service Authority in conjunction with other government agencies and the private sector will continue its bulk collections in every parish.

Government remains committed to the proper management of Solid Waste practices with modern technology for the collection and disposal of waste. The Government of David Thompson is also examining waste to energy and waste diversion options.

The Ministry of the Environment, Water Resources and Drainage also intends to create legislation to prosecute anyone caught littering. Illegal dumping must be stamped out once and for all.

Government also intends to procure new equipment for the Authority and to improve its human resources.

BARBADOS' 42nd ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE COLLECTION DETAILS

The Sanitation Service Authority is reminding the public there won’t be a refuse collection on Monday 1^st December 2008 – the Independence Bank Holiday.

Mangrove Pond Landfill will open from 6:00 am to 12:00 noon on that day, but all other disposal sites and the five national cemeteries will be closed this date.

All residents are reminded to freeze any offal from Saturday 29^th November until 6:00 pm before their next scheduled collection.

The SSA thanks Barbados for their co-operation, and we wish everyone a safe and happy Independence weekend.

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.

Three tons of trash collected by group "Keep Bermuda Beautiful"in just two days

More than 100 people congregated at 18 points across Bermuda recently, collecting more than three tons of trash dumped on the island.

It was part of a global marine clean up mission coordinated by Ocean Conservancy, which saw close to half a million people take to the oceans and the shores to collect the mess tossed away by members of disposable societies the world over.

The volunteers from environmental organization Keep Bermuda Beautiful were out in force at sites including Jew's Bay, Mangrove Bay and Shelly Bay. As they collected trash they filled out data cards which will continue to be collected after future clean ups until the middle of October to get an idea of what Bermudians are throwing away into the environment and how the island compares to other countries.

Feedback will be given to manufacturers and waste disposal organisations about how their waste is taken care of and how we can find solutions for Bermuda; one of the most densely populated countries in the world.

According to KBB Executive Director Richard Lathan one of the main causes of pollution in Bermuda is the casual throwing away of rubbish by people in the streets and on the beaches. Fly tipping is also a major problem on the island despite a forward-thinking government scheme to collect larger household goods for free.

The fly tipping hotspots in Bermuda include Lodge Point Lane in Somerset, Vesey Street in Devonshire, the railway trail at Southampton and a new site called Aoelia Drive opposite the entrance to Tynes Bay.

Mr. Lathan said that up to 80 per cent of the household goods found by KBB could have been collected through the government scheme but that bizarrely Bermudian people are not taking advantage of it tending to pay private companies to do the work. Mr. Lathan suspects that these very companies might have a hand in the fly tipping itself.

"If you pay to have something removed from your house it might wind up elsewhere or just being dumped back into the environment," he explained. "We have reason to believe that some of these private companies may be involved and we'd like to expose some of them. There are a couple of plans in the works and one suggestion is to video certain sites.

"Another suggestion is changing the way the truckers get paid to take things and deposit things so when they pick it up in order to get paid they have to have a ticket showing that they deposited the stuff at the appropriate places."

Among the initiatives Mr. Lathan would like to see introduced in Bermuda is the enforcement of mandatory recycling across all businesses which are not included in the government's collections.

"Currently they have to pay for their own recycling and businesses are trying to figure out how is it worth it for them which is a legitimate question. If the government says it is mandatory that means government would have to take an active role in assisting."

Mr. Lathan highlighted a lack of dumpsters near the docks to cater for the boating community. Over a six-week period around Cup Match KBB took half a ton of rubbish brought to the shore by boaters who had nowhere else to put it.

KBB plans to help increase awareness about Bermuda's environment through a series of town hall meetings which will take place regularly over coming months.

Mr. Lathan said: "We believe that dialogue is the beginning of awareness and hopefully we can move forward."

The Ministry of Works and Engineering was unavailable for comment as the Bermuda Sun went to press.

Bermudian dive site a shocking mess - journalist helps with marine clean-up

Bermuda Sun journalist and keen diver Sarah Lagan took part in a Marine Clean-up recently, helping that online daily create a new series.

It's an example of how we as a newspaper can provide practical, hands-on help. We plan to highlight 'green' innovations and explain the connection between careful stewardship of our environment and the quality of our lives.

In these worrying economic times, questions about natural resources, the use of fuel and how it affects the price of everything from our breakfast cereal to our daily bus ride, have never been more relevant to ordinary people.

Back in July we launched Going Green, a monthly advertising supplement, to provide a focal point for local firms. We want to bolster that innovation with regular news, business and lifestyle stories that have a strong environmental flavour.

Before I moved to Bermuda in July as a newly qualified scuba diver keen to test new waters I never envisaged going on a dive like the one I did with Keep Bermuda Beautiful on Saturday. Just off the launch ramp at Ship's Wharf in St. David's we met with John Trimingham, owner of Peppercorn Moorings. He generously donates his modest barge, aptly named the Maid of Plywood, for clean up missions on a regular basis.

Climbing aboard I got kitted out in my dive gear, also donated for free by Blue Water Diving, along with KBB executive director Richard Lathan and a second volunteer Ken Robinson. Richard and Ken took the first dive down to get an idea of what was lying on the seabed and what could be brought up.

The sad thing that emerged was that the majority of items down there were too big for us to bring up on the day. But in this ten-minute mapping exercise Richard brought up a large, rusting battery and dumped it on the barge. Keen to get a look at the site myself I jumped into the water and descended around 15 feet to the bottom following behind Ken. Because of the water movement so close to the shore, sand was everywhere and I could barely see my hand in front of my face.

Keeping hold of a line we made our way across the seabed for around 30 feet into the open water before coming across another large battery which we attached to a rope and pulled to the surface. I was quite surprised because apart from the battery and sand it was relatively clear of debris.

It wasn't until we started diving closer to the dock that the true extent of the pollution became clear. We descended back down and within just a small area there were a couple of large powerboat engines and other mechanical equipment, a couple of tyres that were probably used as fenders on a boat and two large barrels one full of concrete previously used as a mooring.

Most of the stuff had either sunken into the sand or was just too heavy to bring up but we did manage to hook up one of the tyres and another battery. I decided to go and explore by myself as close to the dock as I could get and was amazed to see the amount of household trash that had been dumped there.

There was a porcelain toilet, a patio umbrella, cups, plates, bottles all merging into the seabed. I could have spent hours bringing the smaller items up but Richard said he'd take large baskets next time as well as some heavy duty hooks for the larger stuff.

Although we didn't come out of the dive with tons of rubbish I certainly came out with a heavy heart knowing how little regard some people have for their marine environment. I'd like to go along to the next clean up at the site to see the real action.

Wrong Items at Edgecumbe Quarry - CONSTRUCTION & DEMOLITION WASTE ONLY

The Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) is reminding all construction firms there are only two sites for disposing Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste; these materials are only to be sent to either –

Edgecumbe Quarry, Bentley Tenantry, St Philip

OR Parsons Quarry, Foster Hall, St George

The opening hours for the sites are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Mondays through Fridays; after hours or on Sundays please notify the SSA.

The permitted materials for these facilities are as follows –

SOFT STONE

DEMOLISHED BRICKWORK

TREE TRIMMINGS

BRUSH

TOPSOIL

UNBAGGED GRASS (NO PLASTIC ALLOWED)

LOGS

LARGE BOULDERS

Not so long ago, the Authority found old appliances at Edgecumbe which were more appropriate for the Bagatelle Metal Facility, and the Authority alerted the Police to prevent any further instances.

There are signs at both sites indicating trucks must pause and liaise with officers before depositing any material(s).