Waste management experts from two neighbouring Caribbean islands visited Anguilla this week as part of the government’s efforts to overhaul its refuse disposal infrastructure.
Bruce Zagers, commissioner at Public Entity Saba, and Fabrice Devaed, head of strategic projects at Public Entity Guadeloupe, looked at the current operations and offered recommendations for improvement.
As part of their three-day visit from 27 to 29 August, they toured Anguilla’s only government-run refuse site which processes an average of 9,377 tonnes of waste a year.
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The Corito Landfill located near Corito Bay on the south coast faces numerous challenges including limited capacity, lack of recycling infrastructure, groundwater contamination and environmental hazards.
Zagers and Devaed inspected key areas of the site including the tyre storage, household waste section, green-waste pile, glass disposal area, and other zones.
An ‘eye-opener’
In a government video, Zagers said it was his first visit to Corito Landfill which was a “bit different than what I expected” and a “true eye-opener”, bit added that “you have to start somewhere”.
“Although it’s a problem now, I do see possibilities where some quick changes can be made… I look to see where lessons can be learned from how we organise our waste streams on Saba.”
Devaed spoke of the “potential of what can be accomplished” and said he was pleased to see moves being made to preserve the environment which he called “a key component of the future of the next generation”.
According to a statement from the Department of Natural Resources, the visitors offered advice including to rehabilitate the landfill and conduct more detailed analyses of incoming waste.
They also suggested conducting a comprehensive study on the recycling potential of dominant waste streams in Anguilla.
And they recommended that the government develop a long-term vision for waste management that creates jobs and supports the economy.
“The Government of Anguilla recognises that waste management is an urgent area of concern and will be moving swiftly to implement solutions,” the statement read.
‘Vitally important’
Health minister Cardigan Connor, who joined the tour, said that the government has known that there have been challenges at the landfill for a number of years.
“The key is how do we go about fixing it,” he said, adding: “For us as a government it is vitally important that we get it right.”
Also joining the tour were Anguilla’s health protection director Ambrell Richardson, permanent secretary Larry Franklin, chief natural resources officer Carencia Rouse and environment officer Rhon Connor.
Hosting the three-day visit was lands and natural resources minister Kyle Hodge, who spoke about the importance of this step during a government press conference on 25 August.
“[They’re] not coming in to do a survey that will then sit on the shelf and catch dust. [They’re] coming in because we are ready to take action,” he said.
He added: “We can’t allow another year, another six months, another two years to pass without taking immediate action as it relates to Corito.
“Because as it stands today, it is an environmental disaster, it is a health hazard, and we have to act now in order to remedy the issues.”
Watch highlights from the Corito Landfill site tour below:
