The incinerator at Pockwood Pond is expected to be out of commission for the next “couple months” following a recent early morning fire.
This was confirmed by the Assistant Manager at the Department of Waste Management, Mr. Anslem Myers in a recently published government commissioned media release.
Myers said the fire took place after 2:00 a.m. on February 14, following the explosion inside of the incinerator facility where the garbage is stored for incineration.
He said, “The fire escalated very quickly. Our workers tried to contain the fire but were unable to.”
Myers further stated that based on initial assessment there were extensive damages to the electrical system in the building and damage to equipment.
“While we have not done a complete assessment yet, we are estimating that the incinerator will be offline for a few months to have repairs carried out,” he added.
In the interim, the Department of Waste Management said the accumulated garbage will be trucked to the landfill until the incinerator comes back online.
Myers is pleading with the public to refrain from putting flares, gas tanks, empty AC gas canisters and other flammable and combustible items into the garbage stream.
Persons who have these types of materials to dispose of are asked to contact the Department of Waste Management at 468-4934 for special instructions.