Scavengers set fire to dump,
choking residents with smoke
NAf. 250,000 spent to fight dump fires to date ~
POND ISLAND--Residents of Over the Pond, Sucker Garden and surrounding areas spent Sunday shut away in their homes, as thick smoke from yet another dump fire clogged the air from 8:15am and continued up to press time.
Scavengers for spare parts are blamed for the fire that kept firemen busy from early in the morning until 6:00pm. Fire Officer Marco Kaak told The Daily Herald Sunday afternoon it was a very troublesome fire because of the distance from a good water supply.
The Fire Department’s trailer pump was hauled to the fire site by Windward Roads Infrastructure heavy equipment, but the water pressure was not strong enough, as some 150 metres of hose had to be used to combat the blaze, he explained.
Before the Fire Department arrived at the scene, a crew from Windward Roads Infrastructure, the dump supervisor, had covered the fire with dirt.
The scavengers are drawn to the dump that forms part of Pond Island by the vehicle wrecks. Sparks from a metal cutter used to chop the vehicles apparently caused the fire, Public Works Department Head of Maintenance Claudius Buncamper said.
A wall built last year to close off the dump and deny copper and spare parts scavengers access to it, to prevent fires, is proving ineffective, as access to the dump is still being gained from bordering properties, he added. As a further action to stop the fires, all the wrecks will be moved in the coming weeks to the top of the dump, where monitoring will be more effective. A camera with infrared night vision will also be installed.
“The camera will help us get at least a face and from that we can hold someone liable for the damages. For this year, government has spent more than NAf. 250,000 in fighting fires on the dump. This is wasted money,” Buncamper said.
Aside from moving the wrecks to higher ground, later this year a complete collection of wrecks and scrap metal from around the island will be removed and shipped off-island for recycling.
Public Works Commissioner Roy Marlin recently completed negotiations with a scrap metal recycling company in the Netherlands for this project. Equipment for the exercise should arrive on the island in November. Project financing will come from the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise and Cargo Facilities shares buyback funds.
While the fire fighters, Windward Roads Infrastructure and Public Works crews battled to control the fire, residents had to stay indoors or leave the area to avoid inhaling the smoke. With at least one dump fire a month, residents are very fed up and are worried about the immediate and long term health risks for them and their families.
As a permanent solution to the open air landfill, government is working on a waste energy plant to dispose of the garbage produced locally and collected from visiting cruise ships.
Consultant on loan from the Aruban Government Gisbeth Boekhoudt will be preparing the tender documents for the project. He will be attached to the Project and Programme Bureau (PPB) and the Aruban Government will continue to pay his salary, while government here will cover the tab for his housing and transportation.
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