Landfill fire @ Pockwood Pond annoys USVI residents
The fire was still burning up to the time of publication.
"If you are choking on battery acid and plastic fumes on the east end of St Thomas right now, this is why...some genius decided to light one of the Irma debris sites on Tortola on fire! I can't see St Thomas from West End and we can't breathe," a Mr Chuck Welsh posted on the Facebook page What's going on St Thomas.
"It just confirms how archaic the BVI is when dealing with their waste," part of a comment from Alex Pose stated.
Other persons from St Thomas also called our newsroom to enquire what was going on as they were being affected by the smoke.
No opening burning- Greg R. Massicote
But according to the Manager of Solid Waste Department, Mr Greg R. Massicote, the fire may have started with combustible materials exposed at the dump site that was created after the incinerator was affected by shortage of power after the hurricanes in September 2017 and then just around Christmas eve when the backup generator for the incinerator developed problems.
Mr Massicote assured that the Territory no longer engages in open burning ever since the new incinerator was acquired.
"What happened basically is that directly after Irma the incinerator was down for maybe a month and plus so we basically had to landfill garbage up on the hill, and also during the Christmas season, with the frequent power outages that were occuring during that time, our backup generator wasn't functioning.
Mr Massicote said a decision was made not to turn on the incinerator during that time the backup generator wasn't functioning until the part was sourced for it. During that time garbage was trucked to the landfill.
"From this evening we started to see spontaneous combustion and our guys were trying to contain it...Mr Massicote said, but noted that his men were unable to put the fire out.
The fire service was called in but, according to Mr Massicote, due to the terrain firefighters were unable to contain the fire.
"We really apologise to everyone who has been affected...We will be on it from the break of dawn," Mr Massicote assured.
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26 Responses to “Landfill fire @ Pockwood Pond annoys USVI residents”
administration have loads of money to spend to make the visitors happy and feel comfortable while basking in the BVI while the BVI resident and citizens suffer for lack running water, poor sewage treatment system, f*** up roads but millions goes building beaches just for a cruise ship person/ I am not against the enhancement spending but I know that charity begins at home...
...this needs addressing once and for all!