RABL Dump Fire DEMONSTRATION by Farrell Goff
HUNDREDS of disgruntled residents, some with their children, marched outside the grounds of the Baha Mar Convention Centre yesterday armed with placards reading “I can’t breathe” and “Too Young To Die” in protest of recurring fires at the New Providence landfill.
The facility was the host site for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC) annual general meetings. The IDB has previously granted the Bahamas more than $30m in loans to assist with solid waste management throughout the country. However, city dump fires have been a recurrent problem for years in the capital.
The protest was organised by environmental action group Raising Awareness About The Bahamas Landfill (RABL). Protestors wore black and also had masks covering their faces. Those who took part in yesterday’s event said they are tired of talk and want action.
“We all have children, you know, that live here and we’re tired of breathing all of this toxic smoke,” Michelle White told this newspaper.
“You have to make noise. And once enough noise is made then they start to prioritise the issues. And that’s what we’re here to do, to draw attention,” said Sandra Relouw-Heinzi.
“For me I know it was a couple of weeks ago my son said he wanted to go out and get some fresh air and it was literally one of the worst days in our area. And I actually had to tell him ‘You can’t go outside, there is no fresh air right now.’ That was, for me, a key turning point that this has got to stop. Our kids deserve to have clean air and be able to go out and play in clean air.”
Shaka Serville, an attorney whose two children attend the Meridian School, said: “I’ve had no option but to become aware of the effect of the toxins or toxic pollutants that appear to emanate from there.”
Lisa Sawyer-McCartney, director of the Meridian School that has frequently had to close because of smoke from dump fires, said yesterday: “I’ve accepted the responsibility to educate children.
“That responsibility has been hindered because of the effects of the burning dump. I’ve spoken to many reporters in the past. Every time the dump catches fire we have to pay to relocate 300 children and 40 staff members.
“So that gets expensive. We can’t afford it but it is my responsibility so I do it. It’s been escalating since 10 years ago and I remembered voicing my concerns to the then persons that were responsible was being told ‘Yeah, we’re working on it’ and we’re 10 years here now.”
The IDB has given a number of developmental grants to the Bahamas in recent years to help with improving solid waste management in the country.
Between November 1994 and February 1999, the IDB approved four separate grants for waste management efforts.
According to the IDB’s website, on November 28, 1994, the bank approved a grant for $750,000 to carry out a feasibility study for solid waste management.
In May 1997, another grant was given to assist with solid waste management – this time for $800,000. In the same month, $100,000 was granted for a feasibility solid waste management project.
Lastly, in February 1999 the IDB granted $33.5m for another solid waste management project. Of that amount, the Bahamas has received $21m to date and has repaid the IDB $15.8m of the grant.
Democratic National Alliance (DNA) Leader Branville McCartney yesterday said that these allocated funds should be accounted for.
“No one is saying what happened to that money. Had they put what that money was allocated for in place, we wouldn’t be here this afternoon I’m quite sure,” he added
Ternielle Burrows, a community activist, said environmental issues aren’t “addressed sufficiently” in this country.
“We’re not sure exactly how the issues are being dealt with. We’re not sure exactly how or where the funding is going. We need answers and we need results. We need solutions as opposed to just lip service,” she stressed.
Yesterday, Assistant Commissioner of Police Leon Bethel did not expect the demonstration to turn violent, notwithstanding a security advisory issued by the United States Embassy in Nassau warning American citizens to avoid the protest.
“I’m very impressed with the conduct of the organisers because they set their own parameters and it seems as if they are sticking to their design and we really appreciate that,” ACP Bethel said yesterday.
On Friday, in a brief security advisory, the embassy said “for security reasons all US Embassy employees, and their dependents have been instructed to avoid the immediate vicinity of this protest”. The embassy also advised that demonstrations intended to be peaceful have, at times, turned confrontational and escalated into violence.
By LAMECH JOHNSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
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