GRAND CAYMAN (GIS) – The Department of Environmental Health (DEH) is coordinating the use of grab trucks to collect sargassum from South Sound, Coe Wood and New Cemetery Beach in Bodden Town; as well as from the Frank Sound Junction launch ramp.

The seaweed once collected is being taken to George Town Landfill, where it is being weighed and deposited. Work crews will continue coastline clear-ups this week.

“After careful consideration it has been decided that the majority of the sargassum collected will be kept at the landfill for disposal,” said a NiCE official.

“Some will also be sent on to the Department of Agriculture (DoA), where it will be tested and trialled for use as fertiliser.”

Eighteen work teams are currently clearing beach accesses; as well as eliminating roadside vegetation, installing road signage and repainting markings. Crews are similarly removing litter from parks and cemeteries, while a crew at the landfill are processing recyclables, tire shredding, clearing vegetation and cleaning, stripping and painting equipment.

“With the first week of the NiCE Summer Project 2019 now completed, I am pleased to announce that the clean-up and enhancement initiatives have been successfully carried out so far,” said Minister for Commerce, Planning and Infrastructure, Hon. Joey Hew.

“I will be touring to visit several of the work teams later this week, to talk to the NiCE operatives and to see first-hand some of the outstanding beautification remediation efforts they have accomplished.”

“This has been a huge effort to both coordinate and accomplish and I want to take this opportunity to thank the Public Works Department, National Roads Authority and the Department of the Environmental Health. This cross-agency approach is a model we want to perpetuate throughout Government,” he concluded.