The Coordinating Committee of the Coalition to Keep BT Dump Free had reason to celebrate following the new Cabinet’s first press briefing, and the statement by Minister Osbourne Bodden that there will be no dump in Bodden Town.  After a “sustained and focused campaign waged for more than two and a half years”, Mr. Alain Beiner, chairman of the Coalition to Keep BT Dump Free, declared that the group has secured victory:  “We’ve defeated the previous government’s shady agreement with Dart Reality to put a dump in Bodden Town, instead of solving the George Town dump problem where it is.”

“In October 2010, when we launched the Coalition, we were told that this was a ‘done deal’”, stated Mr. Charles Clifford, a Coalition leader and a former Minister of Environment.  “Many claimed that trying to fight Government and Dart was hopeless.  But, we’ve proven that the people can organize and defeat senseless and unjust decisions by Government.  We’ve shown that we can stand up against questionable deals negotiated behind the people’s back and against their interests.”

Coalition leader and Midland Acres resident Ms Arlene Whittaker, commends Minister Bodden for “having the backbone to stand up to Dart.  Let’s hope that this government will defend the interests of the people on the dump issue, and consider our fragile environment, so that ordinary people like us are not forced to spend time, energy and money fighting to defend our homes, our district, and our island.  However, if promises are broken, we’ll be back in action.  We expect social and environmental justice!”

The Coordinating Committee “thanked the Coalition’s many supporters, in Bodden Town, throughout the Cayman Islands, and those beyond our shores.  Without their time, energy and financial donations, we could not have won this fight.”  Coalition leader Mr. Gregg Anderson, adds though that “we have no illusions.”  According to Mr. Anderson, “Dart and its supporters won’t take defeat lying down.  They’ll continue trying to scare us by throwing around fictitious figures of $100 million in capital costs and $25 million in annual operating costs, while citing reports which no one has ever seen.”

Mr. Anderson explains that “local engineers and waste management entrepreneurs operating on Grand Cayman have outlined possible options to the Coalition which could eliminate Mt. Trashmore in less than eight years, using small, modular, affordable air burners for waste-to-energy, like those currently used on Aruba, together with recycling, recuperation and resale of what’s valuable at the George Town dump.  Structures for sorting and recycling are already in place, although still never used, and there’s neighbouring Crown land for expansion.  Estimated capital costs put forward are around $10 million – or as much as we continue to sink into the Turtle Farm every year – with some even claiming that a GT waste management facility could pay for itself .”

Whatever the costs, Coalition leaders are counting on the new government to explore all options, openly and with public consultation.  Mr. Clifford claims that Government can “ identify the best affordable solution for the people of Grand Cayman by following due process and transparency.  While including large, overseas firms, there are many local experts and businessmen in the field who must be part of an open and competitive process, who may well be able to offer better options.

There’s also the Environmental Advisory Board (EAB) which deserves more of a mandate than  ‘rubber-stamping’ the Dart plan.  And, of course, the Central Tenders Committee, whose previous recommendations were ignored, must be a key component in finding the best solution.”

Citing current world practice, Mr. Beiner adds that one thing is certain:

“Establishing a new landfill and contaminating another site are never the solution to fixing an existing landfill, especially not when the proposed site is in a wide-open, vulnerable and environmentally sensitive area, so far from the source of most of the island’s waste, with absolutely no infrastructure for the increased traffic.  And, much more enlightening than the claims and wild figures thrown out by the Dart PR machine, are examples of modern waste management solutions implemented elsewhere in the world, such as the recent announcement in the UK of an £8 million waste-to-energy plant in Teeside, serving an area of over a million people.”

“Quite frankly”, suggests Ms Whittaker, “eliminating Mt. Trashmore and ensuring proper management of a modern waste management facility at the present George Town site, may prove much less costly than we’ve become used to forking out in penalties and legal fees for just two or three of the many ill-conceived and broken government contracts.”