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Gov’t activating landfill as fire-damaged incinerator closes

Not the landfill being employed.

Government is activating an interim landfill for mass garbage disposal until the waste facility/incinerator at Pockwood Pond on Tortola reopens.

The facility closed due to a massive fire that caused damage to its incinerator on Monday, November 26.

“Technicians are scheduled to arrive by the end of this week to assess the damage to the incinerator and equipment,” newly-appointed Health Minister Marlon Penn has said.

“The public is therefore advised to use the dump site on the hill, above the incinerator, where incoming waste will be landfilled in the interim,” he added.

The fire reportedly started because of a gas tank that exploded in the yard of the Pockwood Pond facility. The explosion caused fire to travel to a building whose contents subsequently caught ablaze, Penn explained.

An investigation into the fire has now been launched.

In a statement on Wednesday, Penn expressed gratitude to the private and public workers that whipped themselves into action to help extinguish the blaze.

He added: “As the minister responsible for health, I extend my deepest apologies to the residents in Pockwood Pond and surrounding areas for any inconvenience or discomfort caused.”

The fire was put on roughly 24 hours after it started.

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24 Comments

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  1. ndp heckler says:

    Poor we

    Like 6
    Dislike 1
    • SMH says:

      Although this apology is not good enough at least Mr. Penn said something. Now lets us see some action so this problem can be solved once and for all.

    • Moses says:

      We need creative solutions. Let’s start with recycling. Then let’s consider creating a global competition for ideas. Then let’s have a public debate on which solutions are best. Then let’s identify the best way to fund the solution that we the people have identified.

      We need to do this, as God knows, our elected officials have acknowledged they are more interested in spending $300M on a runway extension to benefit their private jet friends or giving away $7.2M to an airline that didn’t exist.

  2. free advice says:

    Government need to dig a huge pit some where to burn and bury all this garbage instead of friggin up the hill side

    Like 13
    Dislike 1
  3. Eagle eye says:

    So they plan to kill the residence and employees of pock wood pond with smoke and then apologize.hmmm

    Like 12
    Dislike 1
  4. 3D massive says:

    Why marlon don’t burn this garbage in east end? He want to poison we in the 3rd district?

    Like 10
    Dislike 1
  5. Just ice says:

    Here we go for a nice Christmas fire for westenders
    Remeber this one??

    https://bvinews.com/massive-fire-caused-by-garbage-exposed-to-hot-ash/

    JAN 16th !!!so we coming up on a WHOLE YEAR of non stop fires down there WTF?????
    somebody do something for gods sake..

    Like 7
    Dislike 1
  6. funny says:

    activate? The hillside burning has been activated and actually functional for years now. With all or PhD’s and so-called educated people, nobody in government competent enough to come up with an acceptable waste disposal plan and activate it. Geeze

    Like 11
  7. Well says:

    Not even Garbage? We in trouble!!!!

    Like 7
    Dislike 1
  8. Wendy says:

    There are more than a few uninhabited Virgin Islands/Cays scattered around . What is the feasibility of using one as garbage disposal and land fill. Gather a few barges and have daily trips..With a strict recycling program it should be a plus .Tortola is too small as are the other inhabited sister islands to accompany a municipal garbage site.
    My opinion.

    Like 7
    Dislike 11
  9. Devon says:

    Now is the time to do a complete redesign of the facility… recycling.. proper clean area to deposit our garbidge and correct disposal of the waste products.

  10. Craig Corser says:

    Tortola should institute a national waste reduction and recycling program.

    Tipping fees puts the onus on individuals and business to reduce waste (get away from plastic bags and utensils, and styrofoam packaging); recycle all glass, paper and metal; and compost all organic matter.

    Legislation is required to ban certain products altogther, apply to apply tarrifs on at the wholesale level, to discourage continued use of plastics and styrofoam. Legislation is also necessary to require recylcling of all drinking containers. These are called “litter laws.

    In North America a deposit of .10 to .20 for each drinking container is added at the point of purchase. The deposit is refunded when bottles and cans are returned to a recycling point. Bottles and cans are collected from roadsides and trash bins by those motivated to earn the deposit.

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