Smoke-free zone! SWD ends dump site burning

The Ministry of Health has resolved the long-standing issue of dump site fires in the British Virgin Islands, with officials confirming that no fires have occurred at landfills in Tortola and Virgin Gorda since January 2024.

Director of Waste Management Marcus Solomon credited new protocols and site management systems for eliminating burning at the dumps.

“We have no more smoke. What we have there, we have a system in place to manage our dump sites now. So if you go back to from since January 2024, both Virgin Gorda and Tortola, we have had no fires at any of those facilities,” Solomon told ZBVI Radio.

The Pockwood Pond facility had plagued nearby communities for years, with residents frequently raising concerns about health risks and environmental hazards due to persistent smoke. In 2023, BVINews.com reported multiple garbage fires, triggering air quality alerts and public complaints.

To address the core problem, the government contracted a U.S.-based company to conduct a full diagnostic assessment of the non-functional incinerator at Pockwood Pond.

“We successfully chose a company from the [United] States, which has provided this type of service to 50 countries, and they would have produced a report. That report is before the Ministry and probably is going to go before Cabinet,” Solomon explained.

The report outlines several options for restoring the incinerator and proposes alternative waste-processing solutions. Solomon noted that a cost-benefit analysis is underway to determine the best course of action.