New waste system still four years away
George Town landfill, Grand Cayman
(CNS): Despite the recent announcement that government has selected a Dart company heading up a consortium of local and international firms as the preferred contractor to tackle the country’s rubbish, the new Integrated Solid Waste Management System (ISWMS) will not be in place until well into 2021. Officials said that DECCO, Dart’s general contractor, was selected because its proposal best followed the outline business case and offered value for money. But the process is still a long way from operation and groundbreaking is not expected until next summer, which will be followed by a phased implementation of the various elements.
The consortium, which beat out three other firms who were all pre-qualified to bid, is made up of several different waste experts.
The local firm is Island Recycling, which is partnering with Guernsey Recycling, and they will deal with composting, a major part of the project, as well as general recycling; Danish company Burmeister & Wain will be constructing and operating the waste-to energy facility; the US-based Cambridge Project Development will deal with the new, smaller, lined landfill; and consultants GHD will be dealing with the environmental and design aspects.
The Department of Environmental Health will continue to collect garbage and the public will still be expected to do their own recycling by sorting their rubbish and dropping off glass, paper and cardboard, aluminium and plastics at the supermarket skips.
But it is not clear from the government documents released following the announcement of the bid what role DECCO, which has no previous experience in waste management, will have.
Nevertheless, Cameron Graham, the president of DECCO, said the consortium team has the expertise and experience to do the job. “Finding a sustainable alternative to the existing landfill is a matter of national importance, and we are pleased to be a part of the solution,” he said a release about winning the contract.
Questions about the cost of the project and who will be paying for what over the life of the 25 year contract, as well as details about the other bidders, still remain under wraps as government continues talks with DECCO.
Officials said that the government’s Major Projects Office has been leading the ISWMS project team and provided waste management expertise to take the initiative forward. Specialist consultants Amec Foster Wheeler, KPMG, as well as Maples and Calder/Burges Salmon, were engaged to provide technical, financial and legal services for the procurement and evaluation of the ISWMS tender process.
The ISWMS outline business case, which recommended the public-private partnership and shaped the tender, was produced for government by Amec Foster Wheeler and KPMG in autumn 2016.
“The Dart-led consortium’s tender is closely aligned with the financial estimates presented in the approved outline business case, but detailed costs remain confidential until the contract is finalised,” officials stated.
Government is aiming to reduce the amount of garbage that is dumped into the landfills by 95% with the new ISWMS. But with no curbside recycling pickup, the bulk of the diversion from the landfill will be to composting and waste-to-energy.
Government has spoken persistently about the waste pyramid, which calls for the reduction of the generation of waste as the primary goal in any waste-management system, followed by reuse and recycling, before the elements of recovery and then landfill disposal at the bottom. But the government’s waste expert in the DEH, Jim Schubert, who has headed up the process towards the ISWMS, said that the focus on reduction and reuse would depend on raising awareness and education campaigns in schools.
Category: Environmental Health, Health
“But with no curbside recycling pickup, the bulk of the diversion from the landfill will be to composting and waste-to-energy.”
If CIG was serious, stratas, hotels, condos, bars, restaurants, commercial buildings would be required to recycle.
Richard,
Not all landscapers should should have to travel to the George Town dump. There should be a mulching/composting unit in each District. This could be set up within a year. Get on with it!
SMH. So many worried that Dart might make a buck on the deal. Cut off your nose to spite your face much???
No one is worried about his buck, we dislike that he wants hotels on every corner, buying every piece of land he can find. The main thing that he is only he is here for is that it is tax free.
And so that makes having a new modern waste management system a bad idea because Dart is involved. Ok
Idiot
No you wouldnt understand the magnitude, thanks but no thanks. We couldve done this on our own. If camana bay was in east end, he wouldnt give a shit about the dump. Hes only taking up this responsibility because its in his backyard.
“Could have done this on our own” Well what the hell was stopping you? Isn’t the existing dump a homegrown project?
“Hes only taking up this responsibility because its in his backyard.”
You should be saying, thank god it’s in his back yard.
This ladies and gentlemen is the type of non-sense that comes from years of being told you are part of the victim class.
Unbelievable…
You could not, can not and never will be able to do something like the dump on your own. And everyone knows it.
@at 9:23 pm
just because he can, but you can’t, you dislike him? It is tax free for the whole purpose to attract people like him. But people like you, because you can’t be like him, dislike him. Pure envy and small mindedness of peanut gallery. Besides, have you thought that the man has enough money already and is doing what he is doing because he likes what he is doing. And he is doing what the is doing quite well. And people who dislike him and count money in his pockets greatly benefit from all his doings.
No one has to sell
I’d wager that any money Dart has saved in taxes has been put to better and more productive use dollar for dollar than any money collected by the CIG. The CIG will also be collecting duties from everything that is needed to service, supply and maintain each of the Dart properties for as long as they exist far outweighing any upfront tax break. It’s called long term thinking.
By the by, if you find the need to travel to West Bay during morning or evening rush hour traffic, be sure to take the old road all the way. Wouldn’t want you to be philosophically dishonest.
I can’t wait for Dart to put a toll station to cross his development from west bay to George Town . Make it private ,all private
Google this guy and see if he really has our best interests or his.
What guy?
Maybe you’re too blind to see that guy.
In the photo of this article , do we see how beautiful the road look . That is what I imagine the whole dump would look like in a short time with buildings on it , with another dump started down the road . While all the toxic chemicals and everything else leaches into our sea and cause other problems. Where has all the toxic chemicals from homes and Hospitals and business gone all these years ? Into George town dump ..
I agree with everyone opinions and comments on this article . I think that there are too many people that have too much confidence in Dart and these politicians that they won’t do anything wrong . But we must not underestimate anyone .
Correction to the above comment , including Mr Dart , Mr Bush, Mr McLaughlin and the next one .
Even the loudest Dart critics must surely recognise that whatever he does, he does well and doesn’t cut corners.
Ironically Mr.Dart and family are pioneers in Styrofoam development that’s where most of their fortune comes from
Oh, I thought the headline was referring to the next election.
Just sell the whole dam island to this man. CIG morons!
Yeah let’s keep the dump Caymanian we’ve done such a good job so far! The toxic runoff, eyesore and awful smell are our birth right!
4 years? Great, just in time for next government to reverse it and pontificate another 15 years on how to replace it…and then reappoint Dart again…
Doubt Dart is going to let this contract slip between his fingers, he has a lot riding on getting the huge pile of trash next to his many multi-million dollar investments under control. He has as much to gain from this as the Caymanian people and environment do.
Let press a button and see if the facility is built. I see nothing wrong with waiting 4 years for a proper facility to be built. After all we have been waiting for 15 years.
“Waste to Energy”, what a lovely new name for “incinerator”.
Why not Google the difference and learn something?
Artificial deadlines – like the High School project! Have you seen how the dates keep slipping back on things in the hands of politicians? No responsibility nor apology for the generations missing out on environmental protection and healthier schools!
Sorting trash? Expat thing. Just walk down the beach, any area with trees or marshland you will see how trash is “recycled”. That’s why every company here normally has at least one trash clearing day for staff and its still not enough. Education is the way, although stupid cannot be fixed.
The joke is on the people 20 million a year for what should be self supporting and need minimum taxpayer contribution ……..suckers
Since you are so knowledgeable then please, please inform everyone how this is possible and how it should be done. Please do not keep it to yourself.
And give you solutions while you fail and still get a paycheck. How about put me charge and then you will see changes, changes you do not want to see but will be for the good of the whole country.
I tried but its the big money that its all about ….. composting is childs play Metal recycling is childs play waste to energy pays for itsself But these processes are self sustaining not a get rich scheme and thats why uncle dart is gonna get paid …suckers
What’s the point.
The immigration was suppose to be sorting the garbage for years.
I think we need to ban the use of Styrofoam products in the Cayman Islands. That would help get rid of a lot of trash.
I think we need a more educated population, that would eliminate a lot of ill informed crap.
Yes. Most of our youngsters think litter is not their concern.
youth imitate their parents. Watch mom and if he is around Dad and so dat wa you get
That would be something CIG will never do! By banning all Styrofoam products, which will include Dart’s products, along with other imported products used for construction, CIG will be biting the hand that feeds them. Keep dreaming!
i can not imagine the people will have a chance to see the agreement before it is finalized. That is not how Dart operates and CIG seems fine with that.
Or rather , that’s how CIG operates…
The inventors and propagators of styrofoam, and one of the most prolific global plastic contaminating empires in the history of man, chosen, for their credentials, to clean up our dump. This kind of selection could only happen in the Cayman Islands. Can’t wait to read this Agreement.
And of course, you don’t use any plastic products do you, virtue signaling SJW?
Believe it when I see it.
Will locals be willing to sort garbage or will we need a new definition for a work permit . Just asking.