Revellers get OK for huge fire on Governor’s Beach
(CNS): The Public Lands Commission gave a group of revellers permission to dig a huge fire pit on Governor’s Beach last weekend. The party set social media alight, too, given the size of the fire, the location and the fact that the partygoers were burning old pallets. The Department of Environment no longer controls permits for beach fires but an official said they were consulted about possible turtle nests and confirmed there were no remaining nests in the area. The fire was then given the required permit by the PLC.
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Category: Local News
Further to 10:53…
IF there was any possibility that any of the pallets had toxic treatment, then the DOE did not even do their job in regard to protecting turtles. Burning chemically treated pallets would leave toxic residue which would quite likely be toxic to any turtles digging in that sand, and to any eggs laid, and to the hatchlings.
How did DOE miss this danger? Not too bright!
privileged Expat Event
4:48, Approved by Caymanians. We are our own worse enemy.
This is about the last thing all you posters should be worried about.
Clearly one of the revellers. Come on pal, explain the party.
I smell corruption here.
Why don’t the members of the PLC simply explain their decision publicly?
Can’t be difficult. Unless of course…
Just when you thought the mismanagement of Cayman’s most valuable natural asset couldn’t get worse. It’s as if the Govt wants to destroy it. Unbelievable.
Looks like a fun event.
Agreed! Can’t stop laughing how a beach bonfire that was cleaned up ( I walk the beach every morning and it was gone!) is more news than and gets more negative comments than news about crime and deadly accidents.
There is not much of that precious beach any longer.
Stupid event with the depth of that hole.
Don’t hear anyone crying about all the garbage left behind when people have weddings on the beach!
South sound community center is littered with wedding crap all the time.
Public beach is littered with garage from the cruise ship passengers. Don’t hear crap about that!
Haters will be haters
Doesn’t make this fire ok.
This is NOT true. Stop making up BS.
(I live nearby and walk through the parking lot to the beach daily)
You, my wee troll, are a shit stirrer.
did they clean up all the nails from the pallets?!
Further to the post about removing the nails, did they take the ashes away. A little ash from a small fire is generally accepted as a cultural norm, but this fire must have left more than a little. Where is the protection for the sand, the sea, the land, and we’ve even sold the air above us. We done gone.
The article set off alarm bells for me as I am a pallet project aficionado and had to become familiar with the safety of the materials I use. In my research I found that not all pallets are safe to use for DIY projects nor are they all safe to burn.
The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)–to which the Cayman Islands is a participating party–specifies in the section “Regulation of wood packaging material in international trade – Annex 1 ISPM 15” that wooden packing material (a heading into which wood pallets are grouped) mandates that all such materials imported into the country must be treated to eliminate insect infestation.
The form of treatment may be one of the specified methods of heat treatment, OR, it may be a methyl bromide (MB), a chemical treatment. Methyl bromide is toxic and pallets so treated should NOT be burned in a domestic or recreational setting!
The method of treatment is specified on the markings imprinted on the pallet, usually by heat engraving. Among the terms on the markings will be the treatment method. A marking “HT” designates heat treated, which, if not otherwise contaminated by what was packed on them and if not painted or stained, a pallet so marked should be ok to burn. If the marking “MB” is there, the pallet has been treated with methyl bromide and the pallet should NOT be burned! If a pallet has no markings it should be rejected just to be on the safe side.
Another consideration is the metal fasteners used to construct the pallets: usually nails, screws, staples. I would trust that the since the pallets are being burned on a beach that post-burn precautions will be used to collect the fasteners left behind. I would suggest a team going over the burn site and collect visually and then with a metal detector to collect the rest. Sharp metal + sandy beach + bare feet are not a good combination.
I should think that the potential for releasing contaminants would be under the purview of the DOE. It is incomprehensible to me that the DOE just brushed it off as not “Not my job, mon” (except for turtles, of course, turtles are ALWAYS their job). If the DOE does not have responsibility over regulating the release of toxic chemicals, what the hell good are they? Someone in the DOE should have been aware of the IPPC requirements in regard to pallet treatment and the possibility that some of the burned pallets might be MB treated.
I should trust that someone from government/DOE is reading this and can school the DOE admin as to the issue of burning pallets. From the article: “…an official said they (the DOE) were consulted about possible turtle nests and confirmed there were no remaining nests in the area”. OMG! Seriously?? Turtles, again?! The DOE really need to start doing their WHOLE job and focus better on protecting humans not just concentrate on turtles and a few cute endangered plants. Humans can come into endangering situations, too! Helloooo! DOE! Anybody home??
Excellent summary. Thank you.
Don’t fuel their fire, especially in this location.
Anyone swing by yet to see if the area was cleaned?
The area unmarred? Hopefully this situation does not ruin it for the rest of us that enjoy outing at this particular Beach.
Lands commissions gave permission WOW ! What a disgraceful situation this is , but no surprise Cayman just look at those in charge at the lands commission . Cayman’ slide into a cesspit is almost complete.
Must be investigated for it is impossible that some laws, regulations and procedures weren’t broken. Then prosecute for incompetence.
SMB belongs to all and no one in particular. No individuals or groups should have this kind of permissions EVER!
My Mama told me….
Cayman will be run by morons because the education system was politicized in the late 1970s!
My Mama knew!!
Burnt sand turns into glass! The sheer size of this bonfire boogles the mind! Watch for a large black burnt patch to evolve after a Nor’Wester. Disgrace incident.
Cayman sand is not quartz sand so no chance of glass. However that’s not to say a few beer bottles went into the fire too.
True of some rock sand with high quartz and silica content, and at temps above 3090’F. Burnt coral sand just turns into brown sand, with nails, and wood debris mixed in.
Turns into glass at over 1700C. Not sure pallets burn that hot.
I’ve seen a guy come and dig a huge hole only to build a rather cool looking sand castle tower thingy that the kids eventually flatten back after he leaves, but this is insane!
Forget screws and nails – that ash contains heavy metals if the wood was treated. That na grape tree wood.
When one thinks nothing can shock him or her anymore, Cayman doesn’t fail to deliver.
Don’t you just love that smell of burning methyl bromide in the evening. Boy, it’s a toss up as to who is the dumbest, the pyro bell ends or the PLC.
The people ‘in charge’ of this rock are dumb as 💩. Our own worst enemies and still we keep voting foe them.
don’t insult 💩. Its role in a human body function is very smart.
just when you think you’ve seen the highest levels of stupidity possible here, something tops it. in a location where the temperature never gets cold, allow a massive, polluting, dangerous beach fire at a time when 7mb tourist product is already under threat from illegal vendors, the stick up boys, Honda fit west bay road grand prix, etc.
And the prized beach is disappearing before our eyes!
Yeah, sure Bobo, dig a giant pit up to your bunky!
Beyond absurd.
Someone can finally tell Billie Joel who started the fire.
This has to be just about the most cretinous decision I’ve ever heard. The slack jawed moron who allowed this needs to be fired.
Are you serious! Was there anyone who ensured this was properly executed – Fire Dept. Since when does the PLC give permission for such activities. Wonder if they could shift the same attention to the beach vendors at SMB which give the same amount of disgust. Just saying – smh
This story raises more questions than it answers. Who were the revellers (expats?)? Why did they want to build their fire on Governor’s Beach? What was the event they wanted to celebrate? What made them think they could get away with their application to do so? Who granted permission and why? Was there opposition at the time?
I’m not saying these questions aren’t important, but it’s weird to refer to it as “getting away” with making a lawful application.
Oh Christ, now I have to see Sandras face screwed up for a week as she posts hours of live stream on social media contaning her morning rant.
Highlights from CMR so far this week are
“all Cubans are beggars”
“all Cubans are rapists and coming for our children”
Is there nothing anyone can do about that bull horn?
Keep talking, your only digging a deeper hole. Accountability is a hell of thing.
I think the chairman of the Public Lands Commission is a genius. He should be given an MBE in the New Year’s honor’s list!
Brilliant , just brilliant.
Rusty nails and wood under the sand now no doubt. People take care of your children
Approval to burn pallets on SMB and why? I could have understood if they were burning sea grape wood and cooking a meal. But to burn pallets riddled with nails and screws is pure dumbness!!!
This is shocking!!!
There is still evidence of the hole there today (12-12)
It would be a shame if all of the nails and staples left behind were buried. The shape of the beach is forever changing, so at some point things below can make their way to the top again.
Losers!!!
Cayman has ONE and ONLY National treasure -SMB. Without it, it would be just an overdeveloped, toxic rock with The Dump in the middle of it.
So this is how Cayman National Treasure is protected. Unfathomable.
So who exactly, approved this nonsense? Names please? We need to start holding people accountable for such insanity and nonsense authorizations.
This is absolute B.S. Governor Roper wake up and say something.
The precedent has now been set and we can expect more of these stupid activities on Seven Mile Beach.
I am afraid we are our own worst enemies. We are self destructing because of our own stupidity.
Roper’s Caribbean holiday coming to an end. He’s not said or done anything to date. Why’s he going to start now?
Beach fires could be hazardous not just for beachgoers, but also for those who live nearby. The study found that the levels of fine particulates around fire pits and in nearby communities exceeded EPA guidelines for short-term exposure. In one night, a single beach fire can emit the same amount of harmful particulate matter as a heavy-duty truck driving 564 miles, the study found.
And right next door to the Governor’s residence!! How utterly absurd. This should NOT have been permitted.
Right bud, not like humans have been making fires for thousands of years. How did we ever get by without EPA guidelines.
Woody strikes again.
yawn…nimby’s and cave people bitter about everything.
these people followed your rules and got it approved.
what is the complaint or story here?
The vendors soon cum to Governors Beach.
Who are ‘these people’?
They are legal as they applied for a permit
But who exactly approved the friggin permit?
Fire the individual now.
Who are ‘they’?
Nobody dares say.
Disrespectful morons.
Upload a copy of the permit.
Hey nimby bitter cave person, your comment is rude and insulting although does reflect on yourself and ‘these people’- burning pallets on a public beach. If you are going to name call, try spelling correctly!
Why would ‘these people’ even want to do this in the first place? What is the story, you tell us? If you are yawning, go sleep in your own bed nimby cave person(s).
This is madness. Only in Cayman.
Yee Haw, bubuh.
They need to move the governor. He’s no longer secure.
Hope they put it back exactly how they found it.
Quick! We must reclaim the governor’s house & beach so that the people can use the beach! … What? The people already do? And we can’t agree what fair use of the beach is? … Oh well. At least arguing about it all is a fun distraction. Merry Christmas. 🙂
Bring on the vendors.
Part of the policy of the “New” Cayman Islands. Double Standards based on location and whose involved…Stay Tune more to come adding to Societal Decay.
Oh come on! Is nothing sacred any more? Burning crap on the beaches now? Should have had their party at someones house.
PLC’s eagerness degrade public lands might be offset by more regular effort to protect, manage, and improve public lands – that way we don’t have to be surprised there is such a Committee.
What was the purpose/occasion?
Did they remove the ash waste from the pit or simply cover it over to potentially surface at a later date? Like during/after a storm.
Did they sift the sand to remove all crap left after the fire?
Shame in revellers, shame on PLC. Imbeciles.
Can’t wait to get a few bags of rusty nails in my heel, thanks PLC.
What a great idea. No risk of future beachgoers stepping on nails, loose wood shards, other debris.
Thankfully no one walks on the beach barefoot.
What a stupid precedent…..
Wonder if they picked up all the Nails and screws left behind after they burned fully assembled pallets. I am betting they just buried them.