The Department of Environmental Health will pick-up where MC Restoration left off in the Hurricane Ivan clean-up process.
Cabinet Minister Arden McLean said that vehicles destroyed by Ivan will be taken to the landfill for the short term.
‘The DEH was having difficulties storing vehicles, but they are currently making space to receive tagged vehicles,’ he said, referring to the Ivan vehicles that were given red stickers by the police after the hurricane.
Mr. McLean said in Friday’s Cabinet press briefing that he was uncertain how the procedure of getting the cars to the landfill would work.
‘I cannot say if individuals will be able to deliver (vehicles) to the garbage dump,’ he said.
In the Government’s contract with MC Restoration, it was estimated that there were 8,000 destroyed vehicles to be collected and disposed of. MC Restoration was to be paid $96 per vehicle to collect and dispose of them.
The estimates turned out to be too high, partially because many of the vehicles thought to be destroyed were actually repaired and put back on the roads. As a result, MC Restoration only collected about 5,000 vehicles by the time the Government instructed it to stop working on 9 May, according to part owner of the company Tom Moffitt.
Many tagged cars remain to be collected. Minister McLean said he did not know the exact number of uncollected tagged vehicles.
Mr. Moffitt estimated in July that there were about 500 remaining and said his company was still ‘planning to get every one of those cars’.
However, Leader of Government Business confirmed that the contract with MC Restoration was over and the company would not be asked to dispose of any more cars.
‘This was a business decision,’ he said. ‘It’s nothing against MC Restoration, but we could buy all the equipment and own it ourselves for what they would charge us.’
Mr. Tibbetts said MC Restoration was still responsible for disposing of the cars it had already collected.
For the long term, the Government is considering buying a car crusher/baler to dispose of the Ivan vehicles remaining and an estimated 4,000 – 5,000 other vehicles that are already at the landfill.
The crushed cars would be shipped off the island, opening up significant space at the landfill, which is nearing capacity.
Once all of those vehicles are disposed of, Mr. Tibbetts estimated the purchased equipment would process about 600 vehicles per year, including vehicles from the Sister Islands.
The equipment would also be used for crushing white goods such as refrigerators, washers, dryers and stoves.
Mr. Tibbetts said that the Government had actually made a decision to purchase the crushing equipment, but subsequently received a proposal from a third party which it was now considering.
Therefore, no final decision has been made, Mr. Tibbetts said, adding that the Government wants to choose the option that is most cost effective for the country.
Should the decision be made to purchase the equipment, the cost would come from the Ivan recovery effort fund, Mr. Tibbetts said, adding that the DEH would make the acquisition.
Minister McLean said the cost would range between $100,000 and $300,000 depending on whether used or new equipment is obtained.
Mr. Tibbetts said the Government was not looking at purchasing equipment already on the island, meaning it was not looking to purchase the car crusher/bailer imported by MC Restoration.
Mr. Tibbetts also gave some information on the clean-up process as it related to other materials.
He said there was less remaining debris than originally thought.
‘There was a time when it was estimated there was 300,000 cubic yards (of debris) left,’ he said. ‘But it turns out that was another windshield estimate.’
Included in that sight estimate was vegetative debris similar to that found at Prospect Point behind Durty Reid’s, Mr. Tibbetts said.
Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 had a similar effect on that type of vegetation.
‘Everything was left in its natural state after Gilbert,’ Mr. Tibbetts said, noting that the vegetation decomposed and gave rise to new growth on its own.
As a result, the Government intends to leave that type of vegetation, he said.
However, larger downed trees such as casuarinas will be collected, Mr. Tibbetts said, which will involving going on to private property.
‘The best estimate is that there are 50,000 to 60,000 cubic yards of debris remaining,’ he said. ‘The majority of that is now concentrated at various sites.’
Much of the remaining debris is white goods and metals, Mr. Tibbetts added.
‘As far as we’re concerned, the back of (the hurricane clean-up) is broken,’ he said.
As for the processing of the remaining debris, Mr. Tibbetts said the Government was considering the matter.
Mr. Tibbetts did not eliminate the possibility that MC Restoration could be used for the processing, but added that the DEH could possibly do it on its own.
‘They have they’re own tub grinder, you know,’ he said.
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