STATEMENT BY HONOURABLE CARVIN MALONE

MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
DURING THE FOURTH SITTING OF THE SECOND SESSION OF THE FOURTH

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
ON THURSDAY 17TH DECEMBER, 2019
AT THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
ROAD TOWN, TORTOLA

Update on Incinerator Repairs

Mister Speaker, I am grateful for this opportunity to provide a further update to the people of this Territory on the status of repairs to the Solid Waste Incinerator plant at Pockwood Pond, Tortola.

You may recall, Mister Speaker, that in October of this year I stated in this Honourable House that works related to the incinerator repairs had commenced with electrical installations that would be required to energize the equipment.  I am now very pleased to say that a new control panel has been manufactured by Consutech Systems LLc, shipped and transported to the site, and installed. The final electrical connections are now in progress by Skelton Electrics Limited, despite the very sad and untimely demise of the company’s previous owner, Mr. Oliver Skelton. I would like at this time to express our deepest condolences to the extended Skelton family as they grieve his loss. 

The final stage of the process entails testing and commissioning by a Consutech technician, and we intend to bring the incinerator unit back into operation after the holiday season.

Mister Speaker I would like at this time to express, on behalf of the entire community, our sincere appreciation to the hardworking and dedicated team at the Department of Waste Management, particularly those officers stationed at the Pockwood Pond dumpsite, that have been toiling under extremely challenging circumstances since the passage of Hurricane Irma in 2017 and the unfortunate fire that took the incinerator off-line since November 2018.

We are also grateful to the residents of Pockwood Pond and surrounding communities for their forbearance in the face of the discomfort associated with spontaneous dumpsite flare-ups in recent months, despite our best endeavours to prevent them and to relieve the effects of smoke. 

Our efforts in this regard were ably supported by Mr. Miguel Smith, a former manager of the incinerator plant, and several heavy equipment operators and other contractors to whom we also owe a debt of gratitude.

Mister Speaker even as this vexing issue is being addressed, the Ministry of Health and Social Development continues its quest to overhaul the Territory’s waste management systems in line with the Government’s vision for a greener, cleaner and healthier Virgin Islands. We therefore look forward to engaging with the community to receive input on the draft Waste Management Strategy in January 2020. Thank you Mister Speaker.