The President of United Sanitation Henry Dean says  that the government has finally decided to trust Bahamians with the huge project of the management of the New Providence Landfill. Mr. Dean  was the guest speaker yesterday at the Rotary Club of West Nassau’s meeting held at the Poop Deck Restaurant in Sandyport and  gave a presentation to his fellow Rotarians on the Waste Resource Development Group (WRDG).

Waste Resource Development Group (WRDG) is a group of 7 garbage collection companies that have taken on the task of the management of the  landfill site.

He said that this project has been in the planning stages for the last fifteen years.

Mr. Dean said his group of companies is pleased with the co-operation from the present govt administration for having taken the bold move to provide them with the contract to manage the new providence landfill for the next 10 years.

He said in the government’s awarding of the contract to Bahamians, “It actually encourages other Bahamian companies, it sends a positive message.

“It also, in our view, provides some encouragement for others to believe that the opportunities like this are available for them and so we owe this govt a good and great expression of appreciation.”

“We the WRDG grouping, have partnered with providence advisors, and that is managed by Ken Kerr, and I am the chairman of the WRDG grouping. My group has sixty percent and Ken Kerr’s has forty percent, you do the math.” And they have done a good job in helping us to secure funding. This project, initial phase, is going to cost us about $20- million, and extended work is going to run into forty to $50 million.”

He said in about 12 months, individuals will have an opportunity to invest their money, funding, in the company and get interest at no less than 10 percent on their investment.

He said that the transformation has begun on the New Providence Landfill, that when members of the public drive past the entrance to the landfill on Harrold Road/Tonique Darling Highway. “You will not be effected at your homes, at your work place by what we do, that’s the generating point, ours is disposal, behind the scenes, we hope that what we do, will, in another year or two, impact garbage disposal, where the garbage at home, that the government partners with us, in demanding, dictating or organizing the separation of garbage by the general public, at home as a point of generation.”

He explained that the separation of garbage that would help his company to be more time efficient, to manage the landfill and provide a safe environment.

He said that within 6 to 12 months, his company’s intention we are going to roll out our recycling program, this is where separating garbage at home helps.

On the sore subject of fires at the landfill site, Mr. Dean said, “Our intent is to prevent, as much as we can, we are going prevent fires on the landfill, and if there is one, to have in place,  equipment, material, resources that will allow the manpower there to move promptly. Previously, fires got out of hand, because successive government’s did not have water trucks at the land fill, no pump trucks at the landfill, nor did they did not have dump trucks on site at the landfill.

He said his company plans to do things differently. If a fire should occur, it is his company’s intention to have the resources to have it contained within ten minutes. He said that his company is sourcing the fire-fighting equipment now.

Mr. Dean said that it is the intention of his company to eventually convert the garbage into fuel, natural gas and diesel.