Early morning fire wrecks Pockwood Pond waste facility
A fire of unknown origin that erupted early yesterday, Monday, February 14, left the Pockwood Pond incinerator plant badly damaged, causing severe disruption to Tortola’s garbage disposal.
Minister for Health and Social Development, Carvin Malone, who has responsibility for waste disposal, said on ZBVI radio that the fire has left the plant fully inoperable and has now forced untreated waste to be processed at a landfill site located near the facility.
Malone said he received a call from staff at the facility around 3 am Monday informing him that there was a fire which was started by an explosion.
“A shift that works the particular hour [was there], so once the explosion was heard, they were able to mobilise the team and based on the experience that they had in November or October 2018, they were able to then go into swift action to help [prevent] any further damage than that which was caused by the natural heat and the conveyance over to the control panel,” Minister Malone said.
Propane tank may have led to fire
The Health Minister suggested the explosion was likely caused by a small propane gas tank disposed improperly.
“With the spontaneous combustion that normally occurs with garbage, this again has caused a disruption,” the minister said.
According to Malone, while there is a sprinkler system in place at the Pockwood Pond facility, this was inoperable at the time and was disabled somehow because of the fire and disturbance.
The minister expressed gratitude for neighboring personnel that he said were able to get water trucks that arrived at the facility to assist with the blaze.
He said persons came and were able to use water hoses and were able to remove the debris from inside of the tipping floor to move it to the outside and were able to contain the fire.
“We are also removing all of the debris from the site and putting it to the landfill because we would now know how to have an aggressive fill and cover with dirt so that the likelihood of spontaneous combustion would be greatly reduced,” the minister explained.
No assessment on damage
Malone said he had no clue about the estimated cost of the damage incurred as a result of the fire and related that any initial assessment only looked at what appeared to have been damaged.
He said a control panel as well as the sub panels were affected during the inferno and said this was in addition to electrical wiring which leads from the furnace to the control room.
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why didn’t the government take the initiative to invest in a greener, more sustainable way to get rid of our waste in the first place
smhhhh…
e.g. public recycling !
According to Malone, while there is a sprinkler system in place at the Pockwood Pond facility, this was inoperable at the time and was disabled somehow because of the fire and disturbance.
What you expect when they buying pure bootleg equipment they purchase. Plus that’s a Liability on the government to have the workers of the facility subjected to such Risk without having these safety/emergency measures operational. TAIN NO FIRE DISABLE THE SPRINKLERS, THEM SH!T WAS NEVER WORKING! CARVIN TOO LIE!!!
And what would be the point of a sprinkler system that doesn’t work when there is a fire. I think they are probably built to cope with fire……
Humble yourselves and ask the UK to ship an incinerator to the BVI. This is disgraceful, shameful and a complete health hazard. What is even more worrying is that COVID has been getting far more attention than our water and waste disposal issues which could cause far more health issues than COVID.
Fear not,good and faithful subjects of this Banana Republic. Your government will assign several consultancies to look at this issue. They will look at the issue multiple times. Maybe issue some sort of half assed report in 5 or 6 years. But there will be no money to correct the issue. The cost overruns at the West End Ferrydrome have nearly bankrupted the country. Once the ferry dock is done and government collects the new $50 arrival/use fee, there may be some money, that is assuming anyone uses the new ferry dock with the ridiculous fees to come see a country that is piled high with garbage because there is no plan and no money to correct the issue. But fear not, your illustrious incompetent leaders will enter into multimillion dollar contracts with foreign companies who are eager to line up and share in the ineptness of this government.
Natures Little Secrets. No secret in public incompetence.
CSC, get ready to collect $$$. No one knows garbage better.
Hon Carvin Malone Minister of Health and social Development, you have FAILED in regards to improving the quality of live here in these Virgin Islands through the management of your portfolio in waste management! YOU HAVE FAILEDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!! GET THIS FACILITY DEMOLISHED ABD REBUILD PROPERLY AND NOWWWW!
Don’t forget, the incinerator was purchased back in the 90s. It lay around, disassembled, for some 10 years, then some well connected (no pun intended) electrical contractor was paid $ 1 million to wire it.
Events like the fire illustrate the absence of any meaningful waste management policy and practices in the territory, not to mention substandard facility management. Bottom line is govt (and therefore voters since they elect the govt) just don’t seem to care much about the environment.
But that’s why we charge tourists that environmental fee. It’s for the children of course.
Pockwood Pond is a disgrace, but it is the epitome of the BVI’s HoA. The former will always be an issue whilst the latter remains free to do as they please with no accountability.
Trash -> steam -> electric …… time to convert
Some VIP government politician is building a huge house in the West End area so just convert that unfinished building to the new waste disposal facility. Problem Solved thanks to VIP initiative!
Poor Carvin,
He’s in over his head. He just can’t handle this heavy load. Everything under his portfolio is falling apart. Our poor Virgin Islands, we are in a sad state.
Oh Dear. It be 19 years before we get a new one working
I like the way you put it , (straight to the point ), thats going to touch some people’s souls , if the have any
Here we go. The hill will be burning for the next year, again. West End cancer rates will continue to be to be high. The garbage will be piled up then “mysteriously spontaneously” catch fire.
Maybe they had Insurance?
Why didn’t they dig a hole to burn the garbage in, instead of just burning all over the hill and expanding as they go??… Yes its still bad but atleast we wouldn’t have to see all the trash on the hill side…. I always wondered why someone never thought of doing so..
One minister killed the incinerator, the morgue, the hospital, the nhi, and practically everything under his ministry