Some health officials are warning that the Mangrove Pond Landfill in St. Thomas could be returning to its "Mount Stinkeroo" days but Minister of Health, Senator Phillip Goddard, has given an assurance: Not under my watch.
Responding to questions from the Daily Nation about an extensive section of the landfill which has been left uncovered for several days, creating a possible health threat, general manager of the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) Chris Griffith would only say: "We are having pure hell managing the landfill. We are operating under some very difficult conditions."
He, however, declined to go into details but Daily Nation investigations revealed that some SSA, concerned about the state of things at the landfill which had been slated for closure more than two years ago, had discussed their fears of a return of Mount Stinkeroo, and had sent correspondence to the Ministry of Health expressing their fears. Investigations also revealed that the authority was told to put measures in place to continue to handle garbage at the St. Thomas site for at least three more years, since there was hardly any possibility of the Greenland Landfill taking any refuse within that time.
This decision, one source said, would mean that about a dozen acres adjoining the Mangrove Pond site would now have to be pressed into service, once the appropriate preparation had taken place, to handle the deluge of garbage. Goddard said, however, that a number of matters relating to garbage disposal in Barbados were being considered, but that he would hold a Press conference shortly to bring the public up-to-date.
"What I will say right now is that I recognise the problems of Mangrove and, as a result, it is taking my personal attention," he said. "I give Barbadians the assurance that there will be no return to the days of Mount Stinkeroo, not under my watch."
Meanwhile, the SSA manager explained that the reason for the large section of the landfill being left uncovered for such a long time was the unseasonal weather.
"We have had rain every day since December 22 and the equipment just could not operate in that area. "There is no shortage of cover material or equipment, so the moment the area dries out enough we will cover it," Griffith said.
He disclosed that during a recent trip to Baltimore he looked at a synthetic (tarpaulin-like) cover being used there and would make a recommendation that some of it be acquired for use at the landfill during difficult periods.