Claxton Bay residents are now calling for proper recycling practices to be implemented at the Forres Park dump, in the wake of a fire that burned through most of Saturday and left the area covered in smoke. Secretary of the Springvalle Village Council, Nisha Whiteman, told the T&T Guardian yesterday that for the past few years fires at the dump have been a regular occurrence.
“Every year for some reason the dump starts to burn and smoke and fog cover our village,” she said. “Last year we had spoken about moving the dump, but that doesn’t seem like an option anymore. We want proper recycling practices to be put in place, so if a fire starts we won’t be getting the fumes of burning plastic and rubber in our homes.”
According to Whiteman, smoke was seen emanating from the dump around 8.30 am on Saturday but it is unclear who was responsible for the blaze. When the T&T Guardian visited the dump around 2 pm that day, the fumes of burning waste and debris clogged the air and even hundreds of vultures and other birds frantically tried to escape the smoke.
Solid Waste Management Company (SWMCOL) employees in excavators tried to contain the blaze, pushing refuse aside in an attempt to create a fire trail. Although SWMCOL representatives usually meet with residents when there are fires, Whiteman said no one had contacted residents up to noon yesterday.
“Usually they come in and speak to us, I think because Saturday was a holiday we didn’t see them,” she said. She said during the day the smog lifted but residents were on the alert should it descend again at nightfall. “It was foggy early this morning (Sunday) but it cleared up quickly. We are waiting to see whether it will get back like that tonight.”
In a statement to the T&T Guardian on Saturday, Couva Talparo Regional Corporation (CTTRC) councillor Fazeeda Khan-Mohammed said the corporation and SWMCOL were working together to quell the blaze. “The corporation has been working with SWMCOL and the fire is under control,” Khan-Mohammed said.
She said SWMCOL and the Environmental Management Authority would also go in to do air quality testing to ensure the residents in nearby communities are not at risk. However, she could not say when these tests would take place. She said the landfill has also been closed while site visits are taking place.