| By Rabindra RooplallThe first cell at the Haags Bosch landfill site being used by two trucksGovernment and Contractor BK International clashed over the management and operation of the Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill, resulting in the contracting company threatening to suspend services if it is not paid the US$121,866 owed to them.These issues were ventilated at a press conference at the Landfill Site at Eccles, East Bank Demerara yesterday. In attendance were Local Government Minister Ganga Persaud, Minister in the Ministry of Finance Juan Edghill, Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development Norman Whittaker,Cheap Jerseys Wholesale, Managing Director of BK International Brian Tiwarie and other stakeholders.The Georgetown Solid Waste Management Programme is being funded with $4B under the Government of Guyana and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Programme Execution Unit.The first cell at the Haags Bosch landfill site was officially opened in February 2011.The site has four cells; each with an area of 6.5 hectares (16 acres). Each cell has the capacity to accommodate garbage for a period of 10 years from locations stretching from Timehri, East Bank Demerara to Cane Grove, East Coast Demerara.This will cater for 15 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils and the City of Georgetown. It is currently receiving and disposing waste at an average rate of over 325 tonnes per day.The landfill site opens from 7:00 hrs each day and closes at 17:00hrs daily. This can extend depending on request made and the closing hours extended to 21:00hrs in December.BK International was contracted in 2010 to construct the Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill and to operate the facility.According to BK’s Project Manager, Lloyd Stanton,Wholesale China Jerseys, the Haags Bosch Landfill was designed to accommodate 250 tons of garbage waste per day but already the facility has to dispose of as much as 600 tonnes per day at peak periods, and generally averaging just under 400 tons per day.He explained that this has hugely increased the scope of work for which the facility was designed and contracted to operate. However, the company is being paid a significantly reduced rate for handling the additional tonnage.“I should point out that the original design for the Landfill did not provide for hazardous waste disposal and, as yet, the client’s Project Manager, Walter Willis,Cheap Basketball Jerseys, has not approved a design for the construction of the hazardous waste cell,” BK’s Project Manager Lloyd Stanton.In keeping with the contract,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, the sum of US$1M was assigned for the purchase of specific equipment to be used for 10 years before it is handed over to the Government of Guyana, He said to date this has not been done and the matter is still engaging the attention of the Attorney General’s Office.He underscored that at present the site is only able to accept domestic, commercial, markets, green, construction and demolition waste, along with hazardous waste confined to medical and abattoir hazardous waste.Dangerous chemicals, lead and asbestos waste cannot be accommodated.“We are also still to receive approved drawings from the client for the construction of the leachate (liquid waste in landfill) and compositing areas. We continue to face a number of serious challenges with regard to completing the construction of the project, which arose from the very beginning of the project being inadequately designed,” Stanton explainedHe said that another major delay still affecting the project is a decision on the part of the employer on the use of “A” stone instead of sand as the ballast layer.BK’s Project Manager explained that the Contractor’s Environmental Engineer, Ms. Marie Dalsan, has recommended stone because of better percolation of the leachate material.The use of sand will cause clogging and will prevent the free flow of leachate resulting in fouling and environmental distress.Noting that the Government has since approved the “A” aggregate for use as the ballast layer, BK’s Project Manager said they are still to receive approval from the Project Manager to proceed with the placement of this material.Underscoring that the project has been subject to ongoing design changes resulting in continuous delays, dependent upon the approval of the client’s Project Manager before the changes can be implemented, Stanton said the contracted company cannot build anything until the client’s Project Manager approves the design changes.“In spite of these challenges to the satisfactory completion of the construction and the resultant operational shortcomings, BK managed to have the site operational to meet a deadline set by the client.“In fact, as we speak, the client has withheld all operation payments for over six months on the entirely erroneous and unsubstantiated claim by the Project Manager that the minimum compaction requirements of 600 kilogram per cubic metre (kgm3) are not being met.The contractor, however, in the presence of the client’s representatives,Jerseys From China, has calculated that a compaction of some 800 kgm3 is in place, which is well over the required minimum,” Stanton noted.However, according to documents, Government’s Project Manager, Walter Willis claimed that due to Non Compliances pertaining to the project no payment should be approved by the Bank (IDB)It was noted that the non compliances include; Clay cover to open face of land fill not done on a daily basis, Wheel wash area not functional, Contractor has not built composting area to date, Internal roads not maintained,Cheap Jerseys From China, Notice Board to be relocated to new main gate, Dust control not being done, Pumping quantities for Leachate not recorded, Cleaning of public access road to site not done, Evidence of BKI personnel lighting fires on site as a vector control, Vector and Vermin control not done as required, Warning sign for current Leachate holding pond not in place, Regular maintenance not being carried out for buildings and structures and a number of directional signs are currently not in place.According to the three Ministers at the event, issues pertaining to payments and the development of the Landfill will be dealt with while taking the necessary steps will be implemented. |
