A Dominica Solid Waste Management Corporation (DSWMC) program with an aim to remove derelict vehicles and other waste around the island for recycling is coming to an end.
Through a Memorandum of Understanding between the DSWMC and the Grenadine Gas Inc. Company, along with the aid of the Environmental Health Department, Dominica is now poised to export at least four containers of this compacted scrap metal to countries such as China and other parts of Asia.
Acting General Manager of DSWMC Bristol Lawrence said that operations are hoped to be completed in the next two weeks.
“So we calling on the public once more, if you have any other vehicle to bring in the next two weeks is the time to do that,” he said at a conference with media at the project site at Macoucherie this morning.
Lawrence explained that the project, which started on August 15, 2011, has already compacted over 100 vehicles from in Portsmouth. Another 200 have also been received from other communities. These materials are intended to be sold at varied prices.
“The price is based on weight and based on the market price. So we try to get at least 20-23 tons in every container. That’s the main reason for compacting it. If you just put the cars in the containers as is you won’t get the type of weight to get the market demand. You have to be specific as to what you do and the type of steel, you have to be sure what you,” he said.
He informed that the DSWMC will branch out into recycling plastic bottles this year.
“It’s part of our recycling program.So it’s not only scrap metal we’re into batteries, glass bottles, card board, paper, we’re looking to go into pet bottles; that is plastic bottles as well this year,” he said.
He continued, “Once compacted, what we try to do is ship it out. As I said before, the aim is to get it out of the environment and by extension out of the island… We are already in the process if loading containers…so far we have about approximately four container loads of compacted vehicles.”
Meanwhile, Acting Senior Environmental Health Officer Clara Telemacque sees that project as one which helps alleviate public health issue.
“Derelict vehicles and white goods pose a serious breeding ground for pests and vermin. As you also know, we had that problem with leptospirosis and dengue fever recently around the island and also it provides an unsightly condition the environment in the communities it self…and really doesn’t lend to the aesthetics of the environment,” she said.
“It really assists the environmental health departments really pushing forward our solid waste management program…help keeping the island free from derelict and island white goods,” she also stated.
She took the opportunity to urge persons not to continue placing additional derelict waste around the island after these efforts had been undertaken.
The grenadine Gas Inc. hails from St Vincent and has worked in St Kitts, St Vincent, and will move on to Jamaica after completing works here.
General Manager of the company Ashford Cole told media that the experience has been good so far but his company was being underutilized.
“So far it’s been going good but we are being underutilized because we can do at least one vehicle every minute. Approximately 300 vehicles have been done so far,” he said.
There is money in salvage wrecking and reusing the steel. Why it takes this island so long to move on things is a real pity.
They also need a hazardous materials collection site. Is EH working or that yet?
They need to collect all the Round-up and Gramasone and send it back to Monsanto for good.
Warma, the thing is that placing vehicles to make reefs seems to be a good idea but iron corrode very easily, just look at the roofs and metal verandah of the houses in melvin hall. I remember that they actually started to do that close to dcp to reclaim land. If is one thing the waters off da is generally deep and what about the effect of the rough seas. The boats in the Pmth harbour answer the question to that. In addition I saw the news couple of years ago that the government of Florida is removing about 1 million tyres that they placed in the sea some forty or fifty years ago for the same purpose. Remember the fish eat many things we can’t see and poisonous metal like mercury accumulate in them. So who knows what the result of dumping those cars in the sea might be. Just wait till we see more Dominicans born efimite. Recyclining is the best alternative, or we use the junk and create art?
I understand your reasoning but i wouldn’t equate tires with steel and aluminum. And i know the waters around DA are deep, and that’s the point – the reefs would be protected to a considerable extent from turbulent waters because of the depth of the ocean plus they will be weighed down by heavy concrete blocks. Boats in Portsmouth harbour are on the surface – its a different matter 300ft below – that, my friend is not a viable example. In any event, if we need any guidance on this – ask the New York city Transit Authority – they place their old buses and subway cars off the east coast to much success – check this write-up from the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/us/08reef.html
this a very good idea Mr acting general manager its about time to get ride of old metal and vehicles for recycling to our country clean and beautiful
What about old refridgerator, stoves wash machines ect. I have two old fridge wanna get rid of them.
This should have been done long time ago, few places we see that transport die on the roadside and poowi there intil tree start to grow inside of if. I also have a next question, Why are we now having to use plastic fanta and coke bottles in da now, from small is glass bottle we used to use from ju-c to zip. so who was the smart person that decided that it was better busines to forget about glas bottle? But the again that is Da. Somebody had to come from quite grenada to take our steel and and we happily give it away because it is dump.
Anybody , are these the guys who started cutting the boats in possee but for some reason had to fookah and leave everything and go?
This is so wonderful. Hoping all these old vehecles will be remove which make this place as a war zone.
Please remember the old boats down at Portsmouth!
This is a very good initiative. What this should bring is the reduction or elimination in environmental levy on imported vehicles which fall outside the year/age margin; Not everyone can afford to order a vehicle which is under 10 years old. The country rather benefits financially by exporting scrap metal. Chances are the older vehicles are the ones which are more prone to being derelict for the scrap metal export business.
Dude need to learn to speak some sense
As much as I love to see DA cleaned up .How long can this last? Didin’t realize the country which bore me is so flickle.How many old cars etc are there on island. After 3 shippments the supply is over.Can this activity last to August this year?
I doh want to laugh Cole Lawrence etc but you guys are CRazzier than CRAZY COCONUTS himself.
Dominicans should demand payment for any scrap metal they give to solid waste. Everywhere else in the world people are paid for these items. On another note Dominicans must be careful about who they let manage these programs…PLEASE PLEASE do not let the chinese take over this…they are importing millions of tons of scrap from the US, but poor nations like dominica they will try to fool us with a few roads so they could plunder on our island. they are becoming the pirates of the world. Dominicans need to start thinking big picture and not just here and now
congrats in order to all the Agencies involved,more cudos to the Government Environmental POLICY,,IMAGINE THAT SIGNIFICANT ARTICLE HAS SO LITTLE COMMENTS COMPARED TO HUNDREDS ON THE PORTSMOUTH KILLING,,ALAS ,,SENSATIONALISM AFFECTING OUR MINDS SO MUCH THAT WE FAIL TO RECOGNISE SIGNIFICANT EVENTS,,,,BEWARE OF YOUR ROLES TALK-SHOW HOST AND NEWSPAPERS
Very good initiative.
THERE IS SOME JUNK INFRONT THE CATHEDRAL. I HOPE THAT ALL THAT WILL BE CLEARED. THE NEW GARAGE CAN GIVE YOU ONE CONTAINER LOAD.
great initiative… the same way the solid waste management can do this… the gov’t can go into a public runned… agricultural manufacturing plant… lazy they lazy.. they don’t want to put people to work… they prefer beggers…
I wonder what happened to the agreement that was signed between some none existing California, Recycling Company, which was supposed to be operating in the Danish City of Solvgang.
You know; the one that we saw the sole owner in the person of a certain Grenada woman, signed with this same Dominica company, in broad daylight, picture of the signing ceremony was featured on DNO.
When the kid from Wesley, saw this the signing of the agreement, and learnt the so called company name, and the claimed address of this great recycling plant, the great detective out the mud of Wesley, drove all the way to Solvang, to check out the operation, only to find that no such recycling company existed.
The address the Grenada owner gave along with telephone number, the address of the building turn out to be a private residence, in a gated residential community.
I stood in front of the house, and dialed the company number, the operator said, the number was not in service, or maybe you dialed the wrong number!
In any event, the whole thing was a lie; someone in Dominica got fooled big time!
I have pictures of the none existing plant in Solvang, any media house who would like to feature one I can make it available.
Could it be happening again!
Just a thought in the mind of the Wesley; the king from the mud!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahah!!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
I was asking myself the very same question. I don’t see how on an island of well under 75,000 people we see the ‘need’ to export our recyclable waste when we can create jobs and a micro industry doing it ourselves???
How much is it costing us/Dominica and where is the benefit in doing it? What??? Have we REALLY gotten rid of all the abandoned vehicles on the island…and at the rate we’re bringing in used/reconditioned vehicles in will we every get rid of them.
Somebody somewhere is laughing at someone’s expense.
DIY is a commonly used term – shame few so-called intelligent people don’t know what it means. ECO-FRIENDLY Dominica??? I don’t think so!
Good job D.A. cleanthe place up go to newtown, and pick up al them old cars on the side of the road.
There are so many vehicles left … those people should be MADE to send them for recycling.
BIG applause though for this effort.
Hats off to you Dominica Solid Waste Management Corporation!!!
While we crushing the derilict can we crush and dispose of the politicians. Right now they have plagued the country with poverty, corruption and f -lies. Don’t forget to get a double containment container to put Tony – straight to a contamination control dump sight..
Fabulous job. I have a suggestion for the future. Obviously it will take quite a while to assemble and compact adequate amounts of these old vehicles to make it commercially viable so instead of waiting until we have enough to do that, I suggest this; first, have marine surveyors examine and map the Atlantic ocean floor, miles out within our territorial waters, looking for sizable tracts of flat or semi-flat surfaces. The object is to create artificial reefs. Then, several vehicle frames can be bound together, placed on a barge, and deposited in those barren areas of the Atlantic, weighted down with heavy concrete blocks, in order to create artificial reefs. These reefs will then become breeding grounds for fish in areas they hardly ever existed in large quantities before, the end result being new potentially bountiful fishing grounds for our fishermen for years to come.
This is an excellent idea. I have been thinking about creating artificial reefs in Dominica for a long time.
Why what’s wrong with the natural ones we already have??? Oh, I forgot…all the sh*t and waste being dumped into sea off our coasts is eroding and killing all the coral. Ooh, I wonder who’s responsible for that then?
GO WASTE MANAGE MY BATTY!
I believe the main problem is waste like oil, anti freeze etc.
so you mean the only thing we can wxport in dominica is old vehicles.give me a break
A big applause for mr. Lawrence and his team. This is a terrific intiative. Hope this will become routine, also for white goods and those unsightly plastics.