The piles of waste in South Bimini.

SOUTH Bimini’s fly infestation has again become unmanageable with residents complaining about the Department of Environmental Health’s failure to respond.

Several residents sent The Tribune photos of the island’s dumpsite alleging that a tractor, responsible for sorting and burying the refuse, had broken down nearly a month ago.

Michael Munnings Sr., general manager at the Bimini Sands Resort & Marina, yesterday confirmed that the fly population had once again become a major nuisance and health concern that threatened the resort’s business.

“I don’t want to go against the government but the department is responsible for it,’ he said. “People don’t want to eat in a fly infested environment, where flies are landing on you as you wave your hand. The issue was dealt with before, but it was not a permanent solution. Why did they let it get back to this point?

“As a result of the garbage, the flies here are out of control. We have ordered these flytraps and they are normally enough, but we’ve just had to rush order another batch. It captures about 30,000 per bag and they’re full. We buy the bags in batches of 20 to 30 and it takes a lot of time and effort to set them up all around the resort. But when you have millions of flies they’re filled in three to four days.

“It’s troublesome,” he said.

South Bimini’s fly infestation was declared “out of control” because of inadequate solid waste management last July by an international expert at the request of the Bimini Sands Home Owners Association. Derek Wright, an insect vector control expert from Florida-based distributors ADAPCO, warned that residents and visitors were exposed to serious health risks from what was described as an unprecedented infestation of vector capable filth-breeding flies in both North and South Bimini.

Mr. Wright identified the landfill in South Bimini as the primary source and breeding site for the filth breeding fly population on the island during a site inspection in May 2015.

The report called for immediate intervention from the government to address the infestation and illegal dumping, and to establish a comprehensive solid waste management plan to ensure the landfill is properly managed and monitored in line with best practices.

“Recent changes with regard to solid waste management responsibility have apparently resulted in ineffective management, control and transfer of solid waste on the north island,” the report said.

“Large volumes of rotting municipal solid waste are left stockpiled and openly exposed for extensive periods of time while awaiting transfer to the south island for disposal.”

It continued: “The operational control, management and oversight of the landfill located on South Bimini is either non-existent or seriously inadequate and ineffective. This failure is visually apparent from the massive mounds and volumes of exposed and rotting organic solid waste refuse left unattended outside of the primary landfill cell and liner area.”

The report pointed to an absence of any recent excavation, compaction or cover activity within the primary landfill cell and liner area; absence of any identifiable landfill working force; absence of any functioning on-site sorting, excavation or compaction equipment; random and uncontrolled dumping of unsorted solid waste; general chaos and disorganisation of the entire facility; and massive fly and rodent infestation.

Mr. Wright said an action plan was urgently needed to prevent permanent ecological damage and to protect the health and welfare of South Bimini residents and visitors.

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

Click here to read more at The Tribune