General Manager of the BVI Electricity Corporation (BVIEC) Dr. Neil Smith says the current situation at the Pockwood Pond Landfill not only poses a danger to the BVIEC’s main plant, but it also has the potential to escalate into a national security issue if it gets out of control.
Dr. Smith made the statement during a recent interview with 284 Media as he addressed questions relating to several topical issues under his remit.
On Saturday, December 9, the dumpsite encountered a large-scale fire that was quickly brought under control, but not before impacting the BVI Electricity Corporation’s plant, which is located in close proximity to the landfill.
Dr. Smith spoke about the incident and how it affected the BVIEC.
The BVIEC’s boss also said that several measures had to be undertaken to protect the workers’ health as the smoke from the fire became unbearable.
When asked about what systems are in place to monitor the health of the BVIEC workers in light of the circumstances, Dr. Smith replied that there is a comprehensive healthcare package available to all employees.
284 Media also spoke to the Director of the Waste Management Department Mr. Marcus Solomon on the recent fire.
He classified the incident as a Level 3 fire that impacted the BVIEC’s compound and said it was swiftly brought under control.
Solomon said the fire was “not necessarily unexpected” due to the amount of waste and the type of flammable materials present at the landfill where the fire started.
However, he said further measures have been implemented to minimize the possibility of similar incidents reoccurring in the future.