Cayman reels as dump continues to burn
(CNS): 4;30pm update: Fire fighters remained at the landfill Monday afternoon as they continued the effort to extinguish the landfill blaze. While Chief Fire Officer Paul Walker said his team had made progress the fire was still burning. But in order to ease rush hour congestion police have temporarily opened the northbound lanes on the ETH until 6:30pm. But with ongoing visibility issues caused by the smoke the RCIPS has cut the speed limit to 30mph.
Marked police cars will be stationed at both ends of the re- opened section of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway and drivers are advised to exercise caution and obey all instructions from traffic officers. Vehicle windows should be kept closed and the air system set to recirculate internal air, in order to avoid unnecessary exposure to smoke fumes, police said.
Because the southbound lanes will remain closed, traffic congestion is still expected and police continue to ask residents to avoid all non-essential travel on Esterley Tibbetts and th West Bay Road, in both directions, during the evening rush hour.
Meanwhile, at the landfill the focus remains on tackling the still burning garbage pile and resources are now all directed there at the main source of the fires. Although here has been some reduction in smoke levels the capital and parts of Seven Mile Beach remain blanketed in grey smoke.
Monday stated with traffic chaos, closed schools, thick toxic smoke across the capital and and an unprecedented threat to the health of all residents as the dump fire raged for the third day.
While firefighters have managed to contain the fire away from the used tyres, which had been causing the thick black smoke, the landfill garbage mound continues to burn and poses a serious challenge for fire crews.
People were expressing outrage and real anger at the government on Monday, which they blame squarely for this issue. The ministry’s continued inability to properly manage the dump and its failure to successfully tender the project to address the wider waste problem, despite promising a solution for decades, is fuelling that anger as the public blames this fire on neglect and incompetence by those responsible for the dump.
The Department of Environmental Health, which is working with firefighters to contain this fire, said crews worked throughout the night to contain the fire to the garbage mound, and efforts are now heavily focused on the area where the blaze is most concentrated.
Chief Fire Officer Paul Walker thanked his officers, staff at the DEH and the RCIPS for their tireless efforts, and expressed his sympathy for those effected directly by the fire. He said the fire service, police and the DEH were all working “to achieve a resolution as quickly as possible”.
But the situation at the site remains dynamic, with the weather also making things more challenging. At this point there are no guarantees being offered by government officials about how this dump inferno will be stopped or when it will be extinguished, especially given the emergence of new hot spots, which has been happening for more than a week.
Meanwhile, residents close to the dump are being advised to close doors and windows and monitor air conditioning units for smoke intake.
Drivers from West Bay are being asked to divert to West Bay Road at their earliest convenience. Motorist travelling from George Town are also to travel along West Bay Road as far as possible. But motorists who do not need to travel to and from West Bay are being asked to stay off the roads to alleviate the traffic congestion.
With smoke continuing to pollute the air all over George Town, several schools and kindergartens are closed. This includes Cornerstone, the Transitional Unit, Stepping Stones, Little Star’s, the Early Intervention Program at CIFEC, St. George’s, John Gray High, George Town Primary, CIFEC and Cayman International School. Triple C also closed early, Monday as smoke drifted across the capital.
Both the shelter at John Gray and the Red Cross shelter are now closed but officials there have said those in need can contact the shelter for assistance. People experiencing any problems with irritation or difficulty breathing should contact their healthcare professional or seek help from the Accident and Emergency Department at the Health Services Authority.
As expected, the landfill itself remains closed to the public.
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Category: Health, Local News, Medical Health
The bypass wasn’t rigorously policed. I managed to get through around 6pm onto the bypass by driving through CIS and to the roundabout near Lakeside. Straight down the empty bypass and home in Prospect for 6.16pm – record time to get home, loved it.
I went through the smoke at 80mph just to be safe. Not a PoPo in sight.
So the dump burns for days. Schools, roads, businesses shutdown. Residents evacuated.
No word from the Speaker and his assault case.
No word from Barbara and the mysterious disappearing trees at Smith Barcadere.
And Alden has suspiciously confessed he is ‘almost certain’ the port project has been lost.
Nothing To See Here! Coronavirus, coronavirus, coronavirus!!
Schools and kindergarten’ outdoor play equipment must be at least power washed, vegetation removed and ground surfaces replaced. Indoor surfaces must be lab tested for toxic contaminants including and it is the most important(!) a/c equipment and ducts.
Only after it is done and a/c tests come back it is safe, children should be allowed to return to school.
Parents, your children are not guinea pigs, do something! What do you choose, loosing your child to a cancer, neurological, developmental and mental diseases or loosing your job?
Your power is in numbers. Occupy street!
Your children trust you’re protecting them. You make sure their seat belt is always on, then you send them to potentially highly toxic environment.
Who do I send my water bill increase to for this mess?
Checked GIS website, no info since 2018! Ditto for Fire Service!!!
Likewise. Tried streaming radio Cayman and it was a news bulletin from July…2013! Anyone got an update?
Go to Hazard Management. HMCI on Facebook. Constantly updated and constantly relevant.
Don’t use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Officials website must be current.
Can’t keep everyone happy all of the time.
Check Twitter/Facebook. Much better way of communicating rather than a static website.
Still third world and hardly trying.
It’s not called GIS without good reason
Lets just put the DUMP in Aldin’s Farm in Prospect and Mckeva back yard. Lets see how his fruits and veggies grow.
Good luck all the buyers of Darts houses next to the dump.
They good. Marbel Drive property prices on a serious decline though.
Adlen will come out give a quick comment and hope we will have our Cayman short term memory loss virus!
I really can’t beleive the others in his party aren’t speaking up on any issue and criticise his leadership.
This is the end of their party.
The dump needs to be relocating to the facility proposed in BT, forget any sort of bids for this, give it to Dart and it will be up and runn ING in two years, which could have been done six/seven years ago.
As a BTr, I’m fine with facility as its not a dump it’s a recycling facility.
Unfortunately, in one month all this will be forgotten, just like the Mac situation!
Inject seawater into it, cap it, plant out with masses of shrubs, trees and grasses. Put a drainage channel around the base for collecting and treating the runoff. This situation is so silly and easily remedied.
Without doubt a very worrying health hazard as well as economic advancement of employment.
While run off water could potentially be collected and treated, majorly of it would end-up as leachate in sea
“ In October, levels of faecal bacteria in the waters surrounding the east end of Grand Cayman were found to be nearly 50 times greater than accepted safety standards.”
“ Enterococci is measured in the number of observed colony forming units per 100 millilitres of water. The US Environmental Protection Agency has established a safe limit of 35 units of enterococci per 100 mL. Florida issues a public advisory when levels exceed 70 units. ”
DOEH “… testing often does not get done. The same is true of follow-up testing when bacteria levels are high or suspected of being high.”
.. surrounding EE??? How does this pertain?
Any situational update from Minister Seymour or is he dumpfounded?
Totally dumbfounded as usual.
Is that a rhetorical question?
Grand Cayman’s new jingle for its newest tourist attraction, the Dump!
We stink you up,
We smoke you out,
We give you shit
You neva knew about.
We sell you dreams,
We sell you crap
We take your money
And not give it back.
If weather’s rainy,
If weather’s gray,
If weather’s smokey,
We don’t delay.
In case you’re looking,
For some good old smoke
Visit the Dump
And have a good toke.
Will the bypass be open fully in the morning, God’s willing, please someone please let us know
They will try to depending on conditions then.
It was previously estimated to be $500 million to fix the dump.
Guess how much $ government has allocated to the problem ?
$0.
If that doesn’t speak to the complete ineptitude and gross negligence of the government I don’t know what does.
It astounds me that parents are not out on the street protesting. Is there no understanding as to damage inhalation of such substances can and will cause lung damage? For God sake stop praying for it to be fixed and ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING about it.
That would take work. By the voters. Not gonna happen.
Absolutely disgusting – we need new people in government who actually give a shit about Cayman and it’s future and most important public health !
Meanwhile a cruise port that benefits very few and is in legal trouble is still having money spent on it with useless appeals.
Any update for tomorrow’s road closures? Do I need to wake up at 3am to get to work by 9am?
Take the rest of the week off.
again the lack of relevant official information is schocking…
GIS put out a message at 7pm
Which said nothing
I see that schools are reopening tomorrow without any inspection for hazardous substances deposits, both inside and outside.
Neither parents nor Health ministry probably have no slightest idea what I am talking about. Freaking UNREAL!
Actually, I suspect they do… But will ignore.
Dart bought the dump years ago. You see them million homes next to the dump?? They soon going sort that out.
Thats why you wont hear from govt. They know.
Fake news! CIG still owns the dump. Go check the land register.
NEW CONSPIRACY THEORY-
the dump fire was started to divert public attention from a certain woman beater.:) Just kidding?
They digging up Smith Cove though…
Does anyone even know what the deal is between Government and Dart with the dump?? Or is it a secret? Dart must want something in return……..is this still in negotiations??
Idiot
After today’s little traffic fiasco, I decided to look into buying a scooter. I checked the licensing department’s website, it is poorly worded, but it appears one needs a new license for a scooter i.e. under 125cc. Why? This seems counterintuitive if our country’s goal is alleviation of traffic. Anyone out there know the licensing rules. Maybe I misread. But group 2 does not seem to cover small scooters from what I see. Thank you more knowledgeable people.
Try this,
http://www.dvdl.gov.ky/portal/page/portal/vlthome/drivers/driverslicence/motorcycle
I think I’m correct, but please check !! –
up to 50cc normal driving license
50-125cc group 1 (yes you need additional license and do a test)
125cc & above group 1A (graduation after 1 year from completion of group 1 test or following successful completion of additional course prior to 1 year graduation period.
The real deterrent is 30% or 35% import duty depending on whether you import a scooter or 125cc and above.
That is sad, it takes 6 months plus to get a slot for the road test. Guess government is not to interested in traffic alleviation. Thank you for the information.
Nobody driving those things has a license.
Not if you follow what all the new 17 year old drivers are doing, learners license for three weeks some with no professional lessons turn up on a Wednesday afternoon at DVLA take your test . Everyone is passing and the standard is low probably due to backlog and not wanting anyone to re-apply. Why is the six week minimum learners license requirement not being enforced. No wonder we have such low driving standards on the island it starts right here.
Nah, you pay the application fee and you don’t need to do a practical to ride anything up to 125cc, which tops out at 50-55 mph.
You get the learner group 1, and book an appointment. They do them every Wednesday and there isn’t a long wait like the car exams
Segway is the choice mode of transport. Drive on the sidewalk and run over pedestrians and wheelchairs. Tourists love them.
Another day in Disney world.
Chris, I cannot believe that tourists pay to ride on these Segways down the sidewalk on the West Bay Rd. The minders actually ride along the inside of the traffic lane against the traffic!.The constant interruption with all the condo/hotel entrances/exits must be a nightmare. Only in Cayman.
It’s a disaster waiting to happen. Why doesn’t their license specify they must be off road somewhere and well away from thoroughfares? It makes the jurisdiction look like a joke with the lack of traffic regulations.
http://www.bikesdirect.com/ Good bikes
Unreal that people continue to remain in smoke affected areas and there’s no mandatory evacuation.
If a member of the public releases toxic chemical in the air to kill the people it’s murder and a crime against humanity.
But when the CIG KNOWS that the dump has regular fires and EXPECT THEM.
And we all breath the air.
Who gets in trouble then?
Who will stand up and take responsibility,
Who will go to jail?
Who will pay millions to clean the walls and building and air systems? They will never be cleaned.
Who will cleanse the earth of the half life of toxic byproducts with 300-1000+ year half life in the environment.
???
Wait I’ve got an idea…McKeeva Bush should do it personally. He has some free time and some community service coming up, and it was him who illegally terminated the contract to clean up the dump with Wheelabrator a decade or so ago, because he found another party that he liked more (if you know what I mean). I think the court settlement was confidential but rumoured to be seven figures so he owes us that too.
He could wear his speaker’s wig and gown because apparently humiliating yourself in public is a perfectly ok thing for the speaker to do.
Call an immediate Island-wide General Strike, and do not return to work until a concrete action plan has been put into place. Island-wide means EVERYBODY. Until you do that, all the whining is just that…whining. Daldon McLaugh in yo Face will not take you seriously, and neither will McBeat Sum Gilz Bushwacker. Nobody is going to do anything until you learn to stand up for yourselves…
I need to pay my bills, so as the Sharks say…I am out.
I need to keep my work permit so as the gays say, I am out too.
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/world-news/20200309/us-utility-company-pleads-guilty-causing-gas-blasts-killed-one
Who will be held accountable for such a disaster, and the impact on people’s property and health down the line like what was recently done in Lawrence Massachusetts?
Kirk Supermarket closes. #wheresjoey
If the people hadn’t protested to keep Bodden Town dump free, this wouldnt be a problem today
The uneducated “Bodden Towners” could not understand that it was a sorting facility and not a dump that was proposed for BT. Now, I wonder who was pushing that propaganda? You guessed it, PPM!
First Joey hearing about it probably.
Give him a break. It was miscommunication.
WHEN THERE WAS A DEAL to allow Dart to buy the dump, cap it, and expand Camana Bay. And then move the dump inland behind Breakers with state-of-the-art recycling facility … Bush was leader at the time!
You tell me, what did the Opposition do ???
They railed and protest against it. Everything government proposed they pinned it in Bush and lost site of the important matters. We could have had a well controlled dump away from G.T. and tourist area, but NOOOOO … there was a “save the trees” campaigned … smh I tell ya :/
Public Health precedes everything.
Where is government now?
And in 10/20 years when everyone is dying from cancer then what?
Shut it down!
They need to move the dump from 7mile and next to that school. It is appalling.
People have already died and continue to die of cancer in the Cayman Islands. The numbers are quite staggering really.
Don’t inhale the smoke.
We need to move the dump ! It cannot stay there !
We have known that fact for 20 years.
I blame the “Keep Bodden Town Dump Free” group. Those loud mouth morons held the government hostage and now the entire country suffers. The dump would have closed by now if it weren’t for them. We have to stop pandering to these ignorant groups of NIMBYists. Doing the right thing is not always the popular thing!
All Dart promised was to give Cayman a lined dump in BT. Nothing else. The rest was down to CIG. If the dump was burning in BT the entire island would be blanketed in smoke now, not just the western portion. In reality a perfect solution was made to deal with the dump over a decade ago, long before the BT sham. The original plan was for a proper facility in town and had it been implemented, we would have had none of these problems at all. Point your finger at government, not BT.
“ If the dump was burning in BT the entire island would be blanketed in smoke now, not just the western portion. “
Does the wind blow in a different direction in BT? SW of the BT dump site is what exactly? Certainly not the entire island, or I suspect as heavy a population density as that currently smoked.
Except it wouldn’t be burning, as the BT facility was a planned sorting & recycling facility with a lined dump for the output from the processed waste
The real NIMBY is Dart and his group of concrete wonderlanders. The dump was there long before Dart washed up on our shores. He’s the one who first suggested the dump be moved out of his backyard just so it will not grace the eyes of his elitist patrons.
Since Mr. Dart likes concrete so much let him pave it over and plant a few token trees on top of it. Or maybe you’d like it in your backyard, but maybe that’s Camana Bay where it’s destined to stay!
The blame lies squarely with our politicians who have had the environment portfolio under their ever expanding belt lines for at least 30 plus years. The first real study of the dump providing direction for the future was handed over to CIG back in 1989, no one mentions it, not many seem to know about it because it’s probably 89 feet down in the dump as it burns today. Back then CIG announced the dump had 5 years more life until a new solution had to be found. This same announcement by CIG was repeated 5 more times until Dart came on seen.
Dart presented his first proposal to CIG to move the dump to Bodden Town in 2010. Look around the world, not many dumps have been successfully moved unless they’re far away from people. This was a bad idea from the get go. Now the current Waste to Energy plan is stuck on CIG/OfReg’s desk collecting dust while they hire more consultants to look into it. This plan has merit and most likely will work and gain the confidence of the people if it ever happens, and providing emissions are kept within first world limits.
What is “Plan C” you might ask, well you might be just looking at it. This is how Cayman used to deal with its waste not so long ago in backyard and community heaps. We’ve come full circle haven’t we, the heap is just much much bigger.
Perfectly ignorant. Your people are proud of you.
Ok – take Dart out of the equation. You still have a toxic dump in close vicinity to: a) the highest density of population on the island; b) near the island’s main tourist area and abutting the North Sound, the island’s most precious natural resource for tourism; c) close to the islands financial industries district, from which more than half of the country’s GDP derives. And it makes more sense to you to keep the unlined, toxic dump where it is than creating a proper landfill somewhere else?
I guess you dont live in Bodden Town
I agree with part of this. Why should BT have to suffer then? Shouldn’t we just build a recycling plant away from residential areas and deal with the dump once and for all without moving it from spot to spot?
And one of them that ran on that ticket and lost his $1000 is now one of the big wigs at OfReg
🤣🤣🤣. You just can’t make this $¥!+ up.
Don’t believe the thumbs up, this is just an opportunist Dartbot trying to push an agenda!
Where you get off NIMBY #1
You want us to take it from your backyard to ours.
Foolish child.
So True!!
I just dont know what everyone is so hot and bothered about.
Afterall it was the citizens of the Cayman Islands who re-elected their inempt government. The current government (under a different name) was originally elected 9 years ago with the promise of a guarantee plan to close the current dump and come up with a new safe solution.
Interesting that after all this time, the dump is still there, endangering the lives of first responders and residents near the facility. Remember — People always get the government they deserve and want.
And the CIG is certainly a good reflection of the Caymanian people.
I put it down to the awful public education system. How else can one explain the high level of ignorance related to the removal of the dump.
I am hot and bothered because I did not elect this crock of idiots. .
“Hot and bothered” obviously means something else to you than it does to me?
Unless firefighters wear hazmat suites, few months-years from now they would start having serious health issues, but would be forgotten by everyone. It would probably be useless to take legal action against CIG, for it would be bankrupt by then.
As in NYCFD post 9/11?
Bullshit. Stop the fear mongering you fool.
Meanwhile, some unscrupulous employers are forcing their employees to come to work near the dump to the industrial area 🙁 – all of them should be called out for this
Who? Call them out.
And CIG cares nothing about the “DUMP” employees long term health
What many don’t realize that by the time this fire fully contained, every sq.inch of every surface under the smoke path will be covered with fire byproducts. Residences and schools would require professional remediation or even officially declared unfit for use. HVAC systems including ducts would have to be replaced.
Outdoor playgrounds surfaces (soil, sand, etc) replaced, vegetation removed and equipment de-contaminated.
The impact on real estate will be huge, expect to see a change in values. Depending on the local real estate laws, a seller would have to disclose to a potential buyer the fact that his property was under the smoke path and that his property was not inspected or remediated for toxic substances deposits.
I would personally not return to a LakeView residence until after it was inspected by an independent professional. Start calling your insurance to find out what it would covers. If you are renting, you have solid grounds for breaking your lease, unless your landlord produces report that the property is safe for occupancy.
Here is the list of some air pollutants that you will be “living with” after this fire:
Dioxins and furans (immune suppressions, hormone system disruption, cancer)
Benzene (leukemia)
Formaldehyde (eye, nose and throat irritant, difficulty in breathing, skin rashes, cancer)
Particulate matter (respiratory problems, cardiac arrhythmia, heart attacks)
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (cancer)
Hydrogen chloride (corrosive to the eyes, skin, and mucous membranes, may cause respiratory tract irritation and chronic bronchitis)
Hydrogen cyanide (neurological, respiratory, cardiovascular, and thyroid effects)
Carbon monoxide (reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood)
Ash which may contain the following heavy metals:
Cadmium (lung damage, kidney disease)
Arsenic (gastrointestinal problems, anemia, kidney and liver disease, cancer)
Mercury (nervous system and kidney damage)
Chromium (respiratory effects, cancer)
That is criminal negligence !
Lawsuits coming !
Not likely. Case in point, Mac is still in office!
Lawsuit!
Great comment. What people fail to understand is that isn’t harmless black smoke – it’s full of, for want of a better word, soot containing all the crap that’s in the dump. The heat from the fire sucks it up into a cloud, when it cools down it settles. I’m from the UK and a malfunctioning incinerator where I used to live did that – the fallout included at least a ton of dioxins. This is an environmental disaster.
Some of the toxic compounds you mentioned are all around us in the ground and air. They are unseen so no one speaks of them. These tiny islands are awash with toxic hotspots that would be declared Superfund sites in other countries.
Yet we concerned citizens are in a minority, the rest are apathetic, believe everything the government spoon feeds them and expect prayer to solve problems like we have now. We have little pristine land left and little time to stop poisoning ourselves.
When this island becomes a metropolis like some of our short sighted, greedy idiot politicians want it to be, in whose backyard will we put the dump then?
Theres soot over everything at lakeside.
No one is gonna do anything, I am a owner and I can’t sue.
Doubt lakeside or any one will do anything.
Smoke funneling into the hallways and building all night.
Alarms going off.
The Chaos…..At least Ivan we were prepared.
GOV still hasn’t issues a state of emergency.
Welcome to Cayman islands. Good luck getting help with your problems. CIG is too busy causing problems to help solve any new ones.
Don’t argue for your limitations. If Erin Brokovich could do it, so can you.
I have no legal education, yet successfully sued 3 landlords, one in Cayman, got a settlement with a hospital and had a dentist to reimburse all out of pocket expenses. All on my own. English is my second language.
I am sure other Lakeview owners would join you.
Pure drivel. Like the corona virus its only a problem if it happens when it happens. Until then you can act as if you are going to die soon or live you life to the fullest. You have obviously chosen death. Good for you and me.
Yes ,and while Mr Ezzard is on talk show blabbing about the dump,,what did he do when he was minister of health?
I hear he got some nice big tracts of land up East he trying to open up access to….Might be a good spot for a new facility.
They are all useless, the lot of them. Younger Caymanians need to run for office and get these old Codgers the F out. They are simply there to pillage as much wealth as possible before this island goes tits up. Alden couldnt give two licks about this island, all he cares about is his retirement fund… bunch of greedy, ignorant slimeballs…
He did absolutely nothing.
One of his colleagues at the time (and who is now Chairman of OfReg) tried to expand the dump towards the West Bay road tourist mecca which was sheer madness and I proved that to be the case then and now. I objected to this plan as an affected landowner .
Hearing a different siren in GT .. would be helpful to know what this is for???
i saw a police motorcycle escorting the Governor’s car through the centre of George Town at lunch time (with his siren on), maybe that is what you heard.
And the Gov does nothing
Thanks! Was wondering if there was some kind of emergency situation what with the dump fire going on.
By elections time people will forget and vote the same ones in again and then complain about them again, remember most of the voters are not the sharpest tools in the shed
Give PR holders the right to vote. Then we might see a change in the political landscape. Letting them run for office would be even better.
Anybody know what that weird siren is for????
That is the Corvid-19 warning siren.
The siren is only for those who know what it is for. Not the general public.
Fix the damn speaker.
1.27pm He needs to be permanently disconnected and never hooked up again.
We have to stop calling it a dump.
It’s not a dump for you old times any more.
Learn and understand how composting and decomposition works.
The dump is a massive composting area with hot spots under.
This how composting works, generating tremendous amounts of heat.
Your comment is moronic. This is a DUMP…an old-fashioned ill-managed and unlined dump. At one time (early 1990s) it was a properly managed landfill and hopefully we can get there again once Government and Dart finalize the proper go-forward plan.
My comment is moronic? I don’t care what you call it! Nature is breaking down that material WITH or WITHOUT human intervention.
It’s a dump because we put material there! Does not mean it stops it from breaking down!
Come on, whats wrong with people why we so stupid?
They have had decades to come up with a plan and in that time its grown into the flaming monstrosity it is today. No, I will not remain quiet thank you very much.
This dump (that’s what it is you are right) has been talked about for as long as it’s been there. It’s time to stop talking and start doing. This government has failed and this thing will forever be a monument to their incompetence and selfish mindset.
His comment is brilliant! To an ignorant person. Lots of people got it.
“Cayman reels as Alden and his gang of inadequates continue in office”
There, fixed that headline for you CNS
Have no fear as Honorable Hew & Seymour have a solution and are taking care of things. They are the new leaders of the future!
ha, ha, ha, ah…..that was good.
We might as well dig our own graves and jump in them, if those 2 asses get in again. God forbid.
Lets refer to them as “dishonourables” from here on. They have earned zero respect from anyone and are a sorry bunch of corrupt, greedy, sell outs.
If the CIG had expended 50% of the effort, including all of the millions on the cruise pier on the dump we would not be in this awful situation that has significantly impacted commerce, commute, public and private sectors from hours lost by a manmade disaster that everyone knew was coming.
And the disruption and anxiety caused to the immediate residents and wider community while an apocalyptic-style raging inferno circulated on social media.
In other western democracies there would be accountability!
I hereby give my government and its handlers a vote of no confidence!
If they put half the resources into the dump that they put into the Port, and if they paid it half the attention they pay to homosexuals, and if they ignored obstacles the way they ignore McKeeva’s criminal behaviour, the dump would be gone by now.
Alden and Moses should be made to repay the $9M they spent on the dock project and put that money into remediating the dump. It was announced how long ago that Dart had the contract for the remediation. They are now saying it will start this month???
Bet $1m+ of that went back to CHEC as repayment of previously made finders fee..via obscure consultants of course.
The thing is, these boys could pay that amount out of their own bank accounts.
100%
Why have a dump or even waste management facility at the most populous part of the island? It is ludacris!
Cap it and let Dart set up a new facility on some of his land in Bodden Town or elsewhere.
Keeping it on 7 mile is madness !!!
mount thrashmore…the perfect monument to incompetence of caymanian politicians of the last 30 years.
Just another third world Gov. trying to act first world. Hire a management company to run this place. There simply is not the human resources on island to handle anything more complicated than 1960.
But that means admitting defeat. Something the politicians can’t handle at all. Getting ‘outsiders’ to fix their problems.
In-bridled consumerism and lack of eco-consciousness on all of we consumers has to figure in this as well.
This is going to make so many people sick and most likely take years off of their lives. You have blood on your hands Alden.
The dump fire has cost businesses and employees a lot of money. At least one ship’s visit was cancelled and taxis are refusing to take passengers. Workers paid by the hour are seriously out of pocket. Restaurants see less business etc.
Consecutive governments for over thirty years have threatened to fix it. It is now a serious health threat.
I implore Government to fix it once and for all.
All those years they did the best they could and got nothing done. Now your still asking them to do the impossible. They have finally given it over to Dart. I hope they let him and his workers do what they need to do without screwing it up for them.
That’s the best they could do?
Nothing ?
Wow …
Just look at the facts. Don’t listen to them.
Restaurants? They don’t need business if they are laundering money.
But we have to deal with really important stuff like stopping two women in love from getting married, Mr Johnson. The Council of Ministers and our Old Testament worshiping woters would never forgive us if we didn’t sort that vitally important matter out.
I’m with Chris, but really Chris, the will to solve this once and for all now is about as strong as it was when you came here. The body count will have to rack up before an emergency is declared. That’s jut how proactive Cayman isn’t.
Chris,
We have one man to blame for all this chaos in the last few days and that’s the Premier. Much as I abhor Mr Bush he had made arrangements years ago for Mt Trashmore to be closed and a new dump to be created in the swampland at the rear of Bodden Town. The Premier desperate to retain power secured votes for his Bodden Town candidates at the pending election, by promising to cancel the relocation of the dump. If he had not done this Mt Trashmore would by now be a a tree and grass covered hill and an asset to the area. Instead we have a noxious pile of waste at least 40 ft higher looming over our capital and spewing noxious and highly poisonous fumes over George Town in full view of our cruise ship passengers. The Premier got his priorities wrong and devoted his efforts to building the piers rather than solving our biggest and most dangerous problem. Ultimately the current dump HAS to be closed and relocated, this is the only practical solution.
No hang on a minute there. Remember Wheelabrator? They won a tender to remediate the dump at least ten years back. They were ready to go when Mac stepped in and tore that contract up in complete violation of the law, and single-handedly gave the contract to Dart for reasons that were never made clear but probably were in his best interests but not the Island’s.
Wheelabrator successfully sued the government for a massive payout and the Dart/Mac plan never went anywhere because it was stupid.
Without Mac doing has dodgy back room deals the dump would be gone by now.
I wonder, what does it take for the police around here to ask difficult questions?
A decent command of the English language, which many of them do not.
Traffic? What traffic?
I watched a few of you go on your jolly way right down the middle of the gridlock with envy.
Ride safe, and thanks for not unnecessarily contributing yet another car to the traffic today.
I watch them every day, passing down the left hand side in the bicycle lane. Only a matter of time before natural selection runs its course.
Is white lining or filtering legal in Cayman?
Traffic law doesn’t specify.. however it’s perfectly legal in the UK.
I’ve done it on a bicycle and motorcycle in from of the RCIPS without getting the lights, siren or pulled over. Guess so?
When motorcyclists filter forward safely, everyone wins as the road moves more people more efficiently. Why make them take up a whole car space?
If everything is grid locked, they’re doing a reasonable speed and there’s no pedestrians, the risk is much lower than you getting wiped out in your “invulnerable” box at a stoplight.
If only CIG encouraged the use of motorcycles….
they certainly don’t incentivise it,
motor cycles & scooters
Up to 90 cc 30%
Over 90 cc 35%
cars,
Up to $20,000.00 27.5%
Between $20,001 – $25,000 30%
Between $25,001 – $30,000 35%
More than $30,000 40%
I’m no wizard but have a hunch that might help alleviate some of the traffic problem.
Yeah, right,
Read this first
“There is no question that the death and injury on Bermuda’s roads have reached epidemic proportions.” http://www.royalgazette.com/drive-for-change/article/20180129/bermuda-really-is-another-world-stats
You know why? They ride scooters.
Nah, Bermudans just can’t ride for sh!t lol.. we good
they certainly don’t incentivise it,
motorcycles & scooters,
Up to 90 cc 30%
Over 90 cc 35%
cars,
Up to $20,000.00 27.5%
Between $20,001 – $25,000 30%
Between $25,001 – $30,000 35%
More than $30,000 40%
I’m no wizard, but have a hunch this might help to alleviate some of the traffic problem.
The dump must be shut down now!
A new proper facility in Bodden Town must be reconsidered !
This cannot continue!
The facility nor location are the issue, the people running it is the issue.
Shut it down !!!
It is now shut down. Well done. No garbage pick up now until they fix all the trucks AND find another place to dump.
Caymanians need to be smarter and less corrupt and gas and electricity need to be free. And it needs to rain more.
The dump is a perfect analogy for Alden’s administration. Full of crap, poisonous and going up in flames.
And bathed in retardant.
Why make Alden look bad in London and Monaco?
On the 7th you reported that “progress was being made on the fire”. By that I assume it was meant that measures had been taken to encourage further incineration as a means of garbage disposal. If so, the “progress” has been spectacular. Only in Cayman!.