Topic: Landfill
Landfill fire still burning as crews tackle blaze
Firefighters continue to tackle the fire at George Town landfill on Friday morning following the blaze which caused traffic disruption and school closures in the nearby area.
Landfill fire reignites ‘Mount Trashmore’ concerns
George Town’s overflowing landfill suffered another fire this week, prompting air-quality warnings for nearby schoolchildren and reigniting calls for action over the Islands’ decades-long waste-management problem.
Solid waste plan: More recycling and diverting from landfill
Government is exploring new collection sites across Grand Cayman as part of its strategy to tackle the problem of what to do with the island’s waste.
Easter campers advised to watch for turtle nests, keep spaces clean
An Easter warning to protect the environment has been issued as Cayman residents prepare to camp out on the beaches as part of the traditional holiday celebrations.
Public health chiefs’ warning over Brac dump fire
A health warning about smoke from a fire at a landfill site has been issued for Cayman Brac.
From rising rents to the cruise conundrum: 10 issues for 2025
As the new year begins, we look at 10 issues that will be front and centre of our coverage in 2025.
Nearly 4 million pounds of scrap metal waste in Sister Islands landfills
Growing piles of scrap metal and old vehicles on the Sister Islands have hit a combined total of weight of 1,980 tonnes, or almost 4.4 million pounds, increasing potential fire risks at both the Cayman Brac and Little Cayman landfills.
Record number of discarded tyres at landfills posing fire risk
More than 10 million pounds of discarded tyres are sitting in landfills on all three islands, posing a significant fire risk, according to Department of Environmental Health Director Richard Simms.
Failed landfill negotiations cost $14 million and counting
Government spent almost CI$14 million on legal advice and consultants during the failed negotiations over a deal to replace Cayman’s waste management facilities, according to data suppled to the Compass under the Freedom of Information Act.
Scrapped landfill deal would ‘not provide value for money’, says leaked report
A plan to replace Cayman’s unsightly landfill with a waste-to-energy facility would not have provided value for money, according to a scathing report from the auditor general.
Future of landfill project in doubt amid government silence
While Government remains mum on the status of the ReGen project, the opposition is demanding answers from the UPM administration on the future of the multi-million-dollar facility.
Landfill worker hurt after falling into container
A female worker at the George Town landfill sustained minor injuries after slipping and falling into a container at the 24-hr landfill drop-off facility on Friday morning.
Government to collect residents’ bulk waste over next two weeks
The Department of Environmental Health is conducting a special clean up exercise across the Cayman Islands over the next two weeks to remove bulk waste.
Cayman by numbers: Highest ever temperatures and record waste going to landfill
The Cayman Islands experienced the highest maximum temperature in 10 years during 2022, according to the latest statistics.
Government claims ‘misinformation’ over waste-management contract
Government has dismissed concerns around escalating costs associated with the controversial ReGen waste management contract as "misinformation" and suggested a final deal to clean up the landfill and replace it with waste-to-energy and recycling facilities is close.
Editorial: Cayman’s COP out
It is a truth (almost) universally acknowledged that small islands stand on the frontline of climate change. Whether it be threats posed by rising sea levels and increasing global temperatures, or the risk of more severe storms and beach erosion, a single jurisdiction in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of some action in the face of the existential threat to our shores.
Transforming Mount Trashmore: Plans to turn eyesore into beauty spot
A verdant hill, dotted with native trees provides breathtaking vistas over the North Sound - could this really be the future of Cayman's most infamous eyesore?
Dart to hold public meetings on ReGen EIA terms
The Dart-led consortium behind Cayman’s multi-million dollar waste management ReGen project at the George Town landfill will hold three public meetings next month to discuss plans for the site's environmental impact assessment.
Interactive: From sewers and sub-sea cables to prisons and power generation
In a series of stories, journalist James Whittaker takes a look at how population growth affects every aspect of infrastructure in the Cayman Islands.
Dart: Remediation will reduce fire risk
Remediation work planned for this month at the landfill will significantly reduce the risk of fires at the site, according to the Dart group.
UPDATED: Small fire extinguished at the landfill
Cayman Islands Fire Service and the Department of Environmental Health are currently working on the site of small surface landfill fire that is extinguished...
Fire Service: Landfill blaze ‘fully extinguished’
The fire at the vehicle recycling plant at the George Town landfill has been fully extinguished, according to the Fire Service.
Landfill EIA planned for early 2020
An environmental impact assessment into the proposed facilities and programmes for the George Town landfill is expected to begin early this year.
Brac incinerator fixed, but George Town’s now broken
The incinerator at the Cayman Brac landfill is back up and running after being in disrepair for nearly four months – a situation that led to untreated medical waste being dumped in an open trench there, in violation of public health regulations.
Untreated biomedical waste dumped at Brac landfill
Untreated biomedical waste from Faith Hospital is being dumped at the Cayman Brac landfill, a manner of disposal that may violate public health regulations.
Dart chosen to build new waste management facility
A consortium of companies led by Dart Enterprises is in line to take over responsibility for waste management in the Cayman Islands in a 25-year deal that will involve the closure and capping of the existing George Town landfill.
EDITORIAL – The difference between statistics and the truth
It is said that numbers don’t lie, but they certainly can equivocate. We were reminded of that last week by two stories that appeared in the Compass, one about the George Town Landfill and one about unemployment figures.
George Town landfill reopens
The George Town landfill reopened this weekend, after its access road was closed following heavy rains last week. The Department of Environmental Health advised that the landfill had reopened on Saturday.
Premier outlines capital projects, policies on opening day of LA
With the next four years being his last term as the leader of the territory’s government, Premier Alden McLaughlin said on Wednesday in the Legislative Assembly that he “will be leaving everyone on the field” to ensure that his administration delivers on its promises to the Cayman Islands.
Cabinet approves sending landfill plan out for bids
Cabinet on Tuesday approved a new plan for the George Town landfill, including a waste-to-energy plant to incinerate waste. The new waste management strategy calls for capping the landfill, creating a new recycling facility on the site and reducing the amount of waste going into the landfill by 95 percent.
No new landfill site in waste plan
Turning trash into electricity in a waste-to-energy plant is a central part of government’s new national waste management plan, which includes no new landfill site. Jim Schubert, the senior project manager, said the plant would be key to achieving the ambitious target of diverting 95 percent of waste from landfill.
Report urges $538 million public-private effort on landfill
Declaring that existing waste-management systems are unsustainable, a 201-page draft consultant’s report on the George Town landfill on Monday recommends a $538 million, 25-year public-private partnership to reduce, reuse and recycle.
Tire disposal contract confirmed
A contract was signed Monday for the removal of a mountain of used tires from the George Town landfill site.
Premier defends tire disposal project
A contract will be signed this week for the huge pile of tires at the George Town landfill to be shredded and used as fill in development projects around the island, including the newly approved Ironwood golf resort.
Landfill report suggests turning trash into energy
A new solid waste management plan has been finalized that calls for more recycling, composting and an incinerator to turn waste into electricity for the national power grid.
Landfill update: ‘We now have equipment that works’
Operations at the landfill have improved, preventing fires and making the area safer, the director of Environmental Health told the Finance Committee in Legislative Assembly last week.
Firewood an innovative take on recycling
Cutting and splitting wood on a hot day might not be an idea of fun for most people. But for one local known as “Cayman’s recycling king,” it can be good for the pocketbook.
Government taking over recycling depots
The government’s Department of Environmental Health will take over private recycling efforts at seven “curbside” depots throughout Grand Cayman on Wednesday.
EDITORIAL – Required reading for landfill neighbors (i.e. most of us)
The Cayman Islands government might prefer that voters forget about the existence of the George Town Landfill and the latent health threats it poses. We doubt that will happen.
Environmental fund to help pay for tire removal
More than $1 million will be pulled from the government’s Environmental Protection Fund to help pay for removing a mountain of used tires at the George Town Landfill.
Government to take over recycling stations
Starting June 1, private collection and recycling company Junk, owned by former Deputy Premier and Minister of Education Rolston Anglin, will no longer service Cayman’s seven recycling depots.
New recycling depots set up
New recycling drop-off depots have been set up at parks and beaches across the island in a new initiative to help divert more waste away from the George Town landfill site.
Recycling firm to remove tires
After five previous unsuccessful attempts to find a buyer for a mountain of scrapped tires at the George Town landfill, officials now plan to pay a recycling firm to get rid of them.
EDITORIAL – Divining the lessons of Flint, Michigan
The water crisis in Flint, Michigan, is a terrible and terrifying story of government gone wrong, and ordinary people, primarily children, suffering as a result.
‘The Beast’ roars into mulching action
The George Town Landfill has a new addition – a horizontal wood grinder Caterpillar C15 2680, a.k.a. The Beast, which will be used to mulch vegetation waste.
