ABCDE NATIONAL WEEKLY Worst Week Jeb Bush 3 Politics For these two, it’s personal 4 Healthcare Just what the doctors ordered 16 5 Myths About wildfires 23 A bittersweet influx A rush of capital and newcomers has unleashed seismic changes in New Orleans, which is used to moving at its own pace PAGE 12 10 YEARS AFTER KATRINA THE WEEK OF SUNDAY, AUGUST 30, 2015 . IN COLLABORATION WITH High of 90 Low of 81 Moderate with wave heights 3 to 5 feet. The WashingTon PosT A bittersweet influx Editorial | pagE 4 The evidence – and The wasTe – pile up esTaBLisheD 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Monday augusT 31, 2015 Cites ‘miscarriage of justice’ by Immigration Appeals Tribunal BrenT Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The permanent residence applications of two workers – one of which was filed in 2006 – will be sent back to the Cayman Islands Immigration Appeals Tribunal for reconsid- eration following a ruling on Friday by Chief Justice Anthony Smellie. Justice Smellie concluded in the cases of both long-term residents, one a Jamaican and the other a Canadian, that the Immigration Appeals Tribunal’s decisions denying their permanent residence appeals were substan- tially wrong and a “miscarriage of justice.” Moreover, the chief justice’s lengthy com- mentary on the permanent residence ap- plication of one of the workers, Michelle Hutchinson-Green, called into question some of the factors used to determine points awarded to PR applicants. Justice Smellie concluded there are “im- mediate and obvious concerns” about the cur- rent two-tiered system for awarding perma- nent residence applicants a total of 15 points for their occupation and another 15 points if their job is considered a “priority occupa- tion” according to regulations attached to the Immigration Law. “It is difficult to imagine a policy that could be more opaque, uncertain and prone to arbitrariness than one by which points Kelsey JuKaM kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com Fires, combustible and poisonous gases, and offensive odors are again pointed out as the risks and nuisances associated with the George Town landfill in the latest of a series of reports about dump sites in the Cayman Islands. The report, by U.K. consultants Amec Foster Wheeler, is based on data collected from monitoring and surveying in April 2014. The report is dated Aug. 3, but it was not made public until Aug. 28. The report presents a risk assess- ment of contaminants and other hazards associated with the landfills in Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, and includes recommendations for envi- ronmental improvements and monitoring. In George Town, stockpiled tires, a par- ticular fire hazard, need to be removed, according to the report. In the past two years, there have been five fires at the landfill. In March of this year, a blaze started in a large pile of residential waste near a big pile of discarded tires. In addition to the 62,000 tons of mu- nicipal and commercial waste the landfill receives per year, it also receives 16,000 tons of materials such as scrap metals, tires and waste oils. “There are significant stockpiles of metals and tires representing a number Auditors refer suspicious transactions to corruption unit JaMes whiTTaKer and Kelsey JuKaM jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com; kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com Football boss Bruce Blake has promised full co- operation with any investigation into the Cayman Islands Football Association’s finances after being confirmed as acting leader of the organization. The lawyer won another four-year term on Saturday, less than 24 hours after it emerged that the association was facing the prospect of an in- quiry from the Anti-Corruption Commission. Challenger Renard Moxam was not permitted to run after his nomination for election was judged to be defective. No poll was deemed nec- essary at CIFA’s annual general meeting at the Marriott resort, and Mr. Blake will remain as first vice president, a role that carries the responsi- bility of acting president following the arrest of Jeffrey Webb in Switzerland in May. The Anti-Corruption Commission stated on Friday that it was looking into a matter in- volving the football association. Auditors con- firmed they had raised concerns about suspi- cious transactions. “There are two or three points they [the au- ditors] have highlighted. We are meeting on Monday afternoon to discuss as an executive,” Mr. Blake acknowledged. “Whatever the auditor, the police or the com- mission need us to provide, we will provide.” The association’s accounts have yet to be Chief Justice’s ruling questions ‘opaque’ and ‘arbitrary’ permanent residence policy Latest landfill report cites multiple risks Football leader re-elected; corruption probe possible The most recent report presents an assessment of contaminants and other hazards associated with the George Town landfill, pictured, and dump sites in Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. - photo: chris court PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Monday august 31, 2015 • Cayman Compass www. REGmovies.com SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any lm starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - MONDAY - $8.00 AMERICAN ULTRA (R) 1:10 | 4:10 | 7:00 | 9:20 HITMAN: AGENT 47 (R) 1:00 | 3:30 | 7:10 | 9:55 FANTASTIC FOUR (PG13) 4:00 | 9:50 NO ESCAPE (R) 1:30 | 4:30 | 7:15 | 10:10 DRAGONBALL Z 3D (NR) 1:20 I 3:40 I 7:20 I 10:00 MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E (PG13) 12:50 I 6:45 MISSION IMPOSSIBLE (PG13) 12:55 | 3:50 | 6:50 | 9:45 www.tonymosleylifeinsurance.com Wife was repeatedly struck with a machete Carol Winker cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com George Washington Vaughan pleaded “guilty with explanation” Friday to at- tempting to murder his wife. Sentencing was set for Sept. 17. He had been charged with attempting unlawfully to cause the death of Lois Hall-Vaughan on Aug. 12, 2014 at Monument Road in Bodden Town. A Cayman Compass re- port quoted police as saying shortly after the incident that Ms. Hall-Vaughan was struck with a machete a number of times in a “violent domestic assault.” She was airlifted to an overseas medical facility. The couple had been mar- ried for eight years at the time. Vaughan, 43, was first brought to court on Sept. 8, 2014, after a stay in the Cayman Islands Hospital. He has been appearing in Grand Court at various intervals since Sept. 19, while attorneys arranged for psychiatric or psychological examinations. On Friday, defense at- torney Dennis Brady advised Justice Charles Quin that Vaughan was ready to have the charge put to him. After the guilty plea was entered, Mr. Brady asked for two weeks in order to prepare submissions for sentencing. Justice Quin said the court had already received certain medical reports and Mr. Brady could provide any other material he wished. Husband pleads guilty to attempted murder A man was arrested on suspicion of burglary early Friday in George Town after an officer on patrol spotted him at the intersection of Mary and North Church streets with what appeared to be bottles in both hands. The officer attempted to speak to the man around 4:50 a.m., but he ran away, and as he ran, more bottles fell out from underneath his clothes. Police chased the man and eventually apprehended him on Eastern Avenue. The Royal Cayman Islands Police said that in a liquor-licensed estab- lishment near where the man was seen, the doors of liquor cabinets and a cooler had been opened. The cabinet and cooler contained bottles similar to those the man was car- rying, police said. The man is out on bail for several matters, both criminal and traffic, ac- cording to the RCIPS. ROSEAU, Dominica (AP) – The Caribbean island of Dominica is appealing for international aid to help it recover from Tropical Storm Erika, which left at least 20 people dead before it moved north and dissipated. In a national ad- dress late Saturday, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said he was declaring di- saster status for nine local areas. Erika passed the island on Wednesday, bringing strong winds and intense rain that provoked flooding and landslides. Hundreds of homes were destroyed. Skerrit estimated that damage from the storm could set the coun- try’s development back two decades. Rescue crews jumped off boats and trudged through mud, rocks and uprooted trees Saturday to reach communities cut off by the tropical storm that also left nearly 50 missing. Volunteers helped carry food, water and clothes for dozens of Dominicans who have been isolated for up to three days. Grand Court jurors who are in the July 1 to Oct. 6 session with a re- port date of Monday, Aug. 31 are now to report on Wednesday, Sept. 2, at 9:45 a.m. Please call the Jury Information line at 945- 5072 for the most up-to- date information. Sentencing set for four in liquor store robbery Police patrol interrupts suspected burglary Dominica Declares Disaster; 20 DeaD Jury notice Waterspout spotted in south sound A waterspout was spotted churning above South Sound on Friday afternoon. This weather phenomenon is typical with the type of summer weather Cayman has been experiencing, according to Cayman Islands Weather Service Chief Meteorologist Kerry Powery. Low winds and high daytime temperatures create a conducive environment for waterspouts, Powery said. Three found guilty at trial, fourth pleaded guilty earlier Carol Winker cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Justice Francis Belle has set Thursday, Sept. 24, for the sentencing of three men found guilty at trial of rob- bing Blackbeard’s liquor store in Dec. 2014 and one man who pleaded guilty in April this year. On Thursday, a jury re- turned unanimous verdicts against Andrew Lopez, Bron Webb and Randy Dale Connor, finding them guilty of rob- bing a cashier in the Grand Harbour store, robbing a cus- tomer in the store, and pos- sessing an unlicensed firearm. The fourth robber, Devon Emmanuel Wright Jr., pleaded guilty on April 17. Justice Belle noted Wright’s plea at an early stage and said he was enti- tled to a discount. “We are looking at fairly young men,” the judge com- mented, adding that none had a history of serious crime. He suggested that their back- ground be reviewed, along with any mitigating or aggra- vating circumstances. At the time of the robbery, Lopez and Webb were 21, Connor was 24 and Wright was 23. At attor- neys’ requests, the judge or- dered social inquiry reports. The judge also suggested that victim impact state- ments be obtained. The robbery of Blackbeard’s involved the use of force or threat of force against a cashier in order to steal CI$4,604.42 and US$582. The robbery of the customer involved the use or threat of force to steal her purse and contents that in- cluded cash, bank cards, a cellphone and a photo of her brother. The firearm, a gold- colored shotgun, was carried by one of the robbers. Another robber carried a silver-colored handgun, but it was never recovered. Police found all four men at Lopez’s residence in Prospect shortly after the robbery, along with a black Ford Escape parked in the yard. Items recov- ered on the premises in- cluded the purse and photo, plus CI$4,536 and US$594. The shotgun was found in Lopez’s attic the next day. The getaway car used in the robbery was identified as a black 2004 Ford Escape. Investigations showed there were only three such vehi- cles on the island and the owners of the other two provided statements that their vehicles were not in the area of Grand Harbour at the time of the robbery. The Crown’s case was that Lopez was the get- away driver, while the other three men entered the store. Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryll Richards conducted the prosecution, assisted by senior Crown counsel Tanya Lobban.3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Monday august 31, 2015 HomeOptions BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE CO. LTD. BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, Grand Cayman KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 12 Kirkconnell Street, Stake Bay, P.O. Box 254, Cayman Brac KY2-2101 Tel. 948-1760 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International: insurance, health, pensions, life Shop around and pay less for more insurance! 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The percentage of stu- dents gaining good passes, at grade A*-C or equivalent in five subjects at the end of secondary school reached 64.2 percent in 2015, up from just under 60 percent the pre- vious year. When the core subjects of English and math are intro- duced into the equation, the results are also improving, though not at the same pace. The number of students gaining five passes, including those subjects, rose in 2015 from 46.7 percent to 47.3 per- cent, according to a prelimi- nary presentation of data from Lyneth Monteith, chief education officer. She said, “The results show an upward trend, but as a system we recognize that we cannot settle for pockets of excellence but must strive for system-wide consistent improvement which will en- sure that all students reach their potential.” The results come amid calls for an improvement in standards across the board in government schools after a series of inspection re- ports suggested Cayman was lagging behind interna- tional standards. Education Minister Tara Rivers said it is important to recognize improvement, but warned the inspection reports, yet to be published, would show standards are “simply not good enough” in the long term. The reports, carried out in tandem with a wider review of the structure of the school system, suggest government look beyond the “five good passes” in GCSE and CXC exams as a benchmark for academic success, Minister Rivers added. Typically the number of students attaining five sub- jects at A-C grades in GCSEs or I-III grades at CXC exams at the end of Year 12 has been used as the yardstick for success, both in Cayman and in the U.K. The U.K. results for 2015 showed 69 percent of stu- dents gaining five A*-C passes or better, compared with 65 percent in Cayman. The U.K. results come from exams taken at the end of year 11. Pupils in Cayman sit equivalent exams at the same time, though the figure for Cayman also takes into account re-sits and addi- tional exams taken in Year 12 – an additional year of mandatory education in the territory. Year 11 results for Cayman show 47 percent of students gaining five good passes, with the figure dropping to 35.5 percent when math and English are included. The reports...suggest government look beyond the “five good passes” in GCSE and CXC exams as a benchmark for academic success, Minister Rivers said, Webb struggling to fund NY home, security Applies for change to bail conditions JameS Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Former FIFA vice presi- dent Jeffrey Webb claims he is struggling to fund his house arrest in New York and has applied to the U.S. federal court to allow him to relocate to Georgia, where he and his wife have a home. Caymanian Webb, who has denied multiple corruption charges in his FIFA-related activities, has been required to live within 20 miles of the courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, under the supervision of FBI-approved security guards, paid for at his own expense, since his release last month on a US$10 million bail package. In a filing with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Webb’s attorneys claim the current bail conditions are causing economic hardship for the former Cayman football boss and his family. “The costs associated with maintaining his residence in close proximity to this court- house and paying for the re- quired security detail for the month that Mr. Webb has been in the United States are now posing extraordinary fi- nancial and logistical bur- dens on Mr. Webb and his immediate family, who reside in Loganville, Georgia, near Atlanta,” Webb’s attorney, Edward O’Callaghan, wrote in the court filing. “This financial burden is worsened by the fact that nearly the entirety of Mr. and Mrs. Webb’s cash savings is maintained in bank accounts that are encumbered as a re- sult of the indictment and for- feiture allegations in this case.” The filing indicates that prosecutors are not opposing the change in bail conditions as long as the security re- mains in place. Webb’s attorneys suggest that allowing him to move to his Georgia residence will en- able him to care for his year- old son and allow his wife, Dr. Kendra Gamble Webb, to find work as a physician. It suggests the move will also mean reduced housing, travel and security costs for Webb and his family. Webb secured his bail using 10 properties, a fleet of expensive cars, including a 2015 Ferrari, and luxury watches and jewelry, in- cluding his wife’s diamond wedding ring. If he breaks any of his bail conditions, those items or properties, some owned by members of his family, could be forfeited. Webb was arrested in Zurich, Switzerland in May, along with several other FIFA officials after U.S. federal prosecutors alleged an in- ternational racketeering and bribery scandal dubbed the “World Cup of fraud.” Webb is personally ac- cused of accepting millions of dollars in bribes for steering lucrative contracts to certain sports marketing companies. Webb faces 15 felony counts, including racke- teering, bribery and money laundering. He pleaded not guilty on July 18 after de- ciding not to fight extradition from Switzerland. Jeffrey Webb Minister Rivers Cayman exam reSultS – GCSe/CxC examS after year 12 Level 2 passes at a*-C or better in five subjects 2012: 39.4; 2013: 55.7; 2014: 59.8; 2015: 64.2 Level 2 passes at a*-C or better in five subjects, including math and English 2012: 22.7; 2013: 35.2; 2014: 46.7; 2015: 47.3 after year 11 Level 2 passes at a*-C or better in five subjects 2012: 35; 2013: 37.2; 2014: 38.4; 2015: 47 Level 2 passes at a*-C or better in five subjects, including math and English 2012: 22.7; 2013: 35.2; 2014: 27.8; 2015: 22.5The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. Printed and Published by: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town send us yOur VieWs Or neWs: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com adVertise With us: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS daVid r. legge and Vicki l. legge EdITOR-In-CHIEf daVid r. legge A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” The latest in a series of reports has been released on the conditions at the George Town landfill. Here’s the abbreviated version: It’s poisonous. It smells. And it’s ugly. Similar observations are made about landfills on the Sister Islands, with problems varying according to the relatively small size of the sites. The report by U.K. consultants Amec Foster Wheeler — dated Aug. 3, but “dumped” on the country on Friday afternoon, in the “blind spot” of the news cycle — builds upon and largely supports the work per- formed by previous consultants in years past. The new report is the most detailed exposition yet of recurring themes in Cayman Islands solid waste management. For example, according to consultants, the George Town landfill is an unlined, un-engineered eyesore that has become “the highest point on Grand Cayman and is visible from a considerable distance,” including “to cruise ships moored offshore.” Workers and visitors to the landfill site are at risk of exposure to arsenic in soils, hydrogen sulfide (a noxious and potentially deadly gas), methane (a poten- tially explosive gas) and hydrocarbons (i.e. oil). While nearby residents do face potential risks from landfill gases, including methane, the more serious threats occur when the landfill catches on fire, which has occurred five times in the past two years. On an ongoing basis, nearby residents must deal with dust from the landfill, bad odors, and various “scavenging” animals, birds and insects for which the landfill is their food source, habitat and/or breeding ground. The landfill is a potentially significant source of pol- lution to nearby bodies of water — including ground- water, surface canals and the North Sound. In regard to North Sound specifically, the landfill is a source of ammonia and metals, and poses a threat to the North Sound ecology by way of “potentially contaminated sediments in the canal.” (As a side note, which raises questions in our minds, tucked away in the Amec report is the obser- vation that neither the Department of Environmental Health nor the Department of Environment has been monitoring water quality data for surface water, groundwater for the North Sound since 2013, although they were able to provide more-or-less annual data for the period from 2006 to 2013, when the Progressives government assumed power.) To our readers who have been paying attention to the years-long saga of the landfill, the problems identified in the Amec report no doubt seem familiar. Likewise, so should the solutions the consultants propose. Namely, consultants recommend that the government cover the exposed portions of the landfill on a daily basis, and ultimately “cap” the areas when they are completed, in order to reduce noxious odors, the presence of pests, the potential for leaching and the threat of fires. That, of course, is precisely what the Dart Group had offered to do — not to mention establishing a brand-new facility in a relatively remote area of the island — and what the ultimately successful Progres- sives candidates explicitly campaigned against doing in 2013, saying they had an alternative solution in their back pocket. There was a campaign slogan (“No Dump in Bodden Town”) and a campaign promise (“We have a solution”) — but there was never a plan. No one, we would posit, voted for the current govern- ment on the understanding that their “plan” consisted of commissioning more reports, hiring more consultants, and taking more “field trips” to better educate them- selves on the intricacies of solid waste management. In large measure, they came into office in 2013 on the basis of a promise. The question now is whether they leave office in 2017 — on the basis of a promise unfulfilled. The evidence – and the waste – pile up Monday augusT 31, 2015 • Cayman COmpass “New labor bill: Bad for business, bad for employees,” Aug. 28 Nothing is surprising in this. This is what you get when you let a bunch of never-ran-a-business- in-their-life, know-nothing, private-sector illiterates, draft bills for the public at large that supersede their understanding of the pri- vate sector. These guys can’t even manage the finances with guaranteed tax income; now they want to “fix” the private sector. Jokers ... aJ Ebanks I think that this new labor bill is a big disgrace, and all the politicians that put it together. This bill is bad for the islands and jobs, and it would push developers/business out of the islands. I wonder why the business/developers are not speaking up like the Cayman Compass is doing? Ron Clair Ebanks Europe has some of the strictest employment protection laws in the world. Especially France. In consequence they have no growth. By contrast Florida has “employment at will” laws; anyone can be let go for any reason, except for discrim- ination and similar out- rages. Florida has growth. In the U.K. we once fired an Indian lady packer from our warehouse. This was after numerous warn- ings about her poor work ethic and constantly ar- riving late. She sued us for unfair dismissal and that her dismissal was for ra- cial reasons. We wasted thousands defending this case, which was dismissed as without merit. In fact she was told that her case was an in- sult to those people who have genuinely been dis- criminated against. So, please, let’s not go down this road to socialism. norman Linton The new Labour Relations Bill, 2015 will be good for both employer and the employee. It will be good for the employee in that it will prevent the current prac- tice of employers hiring, as a token, a Caymanian; teaching them nothing, no instruction (“using them”) and then shortly thereafter firing them on 24 hours’ notice, only to be replaced with a work permit – perhaps the in- tention all along. George Ebanks Nobody really wants the workers to have any rights. That’s why 30-odd years have passed and still nothing concrete. The cheap labor work force with no rights will remain the way it is, ex- ploited. That’s the way the status quo wants it, and that’s the way it’s going to stay. Rod Bodden “An argument FOR the Labour Relations Bill,” Aug. 27 Wow, I have always wondered what we could do as enforcement of the law. But your idea could really work if you could get the Chamber on board. Maybe if government would back up a company owned by Caymanians it could be done. David miller “Diverted ambulances delay response to heart attack victim,” Aug. 28 Too bad the Shetty Hospital isn’t allowed to do emergency response. I guess the competition would be to much for Cayman to handle. michael Davis The question is, should we allow competitions to override the price of life? People have their spe- cial doctor, and it does not matter if he is in Sing Sing prison; they will find him and go to him. So I do not think it is fair to deprive people of the right to go to the Shetty Hospital if they care to. CINICO needs to make serious consid- erations on the part of their clients. Why in the world would an ambulance have to gamble with a per- son’s life by crossing a reputable hospital like the Shetty to take a dying heart patient 25 miles to George Town? It just does not sound right. Twyla Vargas Thank God the po- lice were there and well trained in effective CPR to save this man’s life. In ad- dition to considering how the paramedics should be deployed, it would be ben- eficial to consider stra- tegic placement of AEDs (automatic external de- fibrillators) around the more remote areas of Grand Cayman (Rum Point and East End) as well as the Sister Islands. These devices cost less than US$1,000 and have audio instructions that even a young child can follow. A very inex- pensive investment that saves lives. Barbara Frischman “Blake remains defiant as election looms,” Aug. 28 Losing government’s annual funding is hardly taking his sport for- ward; rather, Mr. Blake is taking it in the opposite direction. One wonders where the “alternative” funds originated. As for funding from the private sector, unless there are changes in man- agement any request will likely receive the same response as government has given. Similarly, FIFA who are now under the microscope, may well also seek new management in Cayman given what has happened here, before committing further funds. Roger Davies Boycott CIFA. They have got to learn to listen andy Walton “UK minister: ‘More than one way’ on beneficial ownership,” Aug. 28 Do as I say, not do as I do ... peter Loscher “Kimpton hotel aims for November 2016 opening,” Aug. 27 Tourists and others come to Cayman for the iguanas, beaches, laid back lifestyle, snorkeling and new accommoda- tions, which are certainly overdue. Cayman has to keep up with the needs of the traveler. Be it for business or pleasure, folks are looking for new, clean, up-to-date hotels or they won’t bother. Lukishi Brown From CaymanCompass.Com5 LOCAL NEWS Cabinet secretary advises ‘precautionary measures’ continue Tad SToner tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cabinet Secretary Samuel Rose has released an “up- date” on July’s probe of ar- senic contamination at a Frank Sound farm near Clifton Hunter High School but has declined to describe the results. In a two-paragraph state- ment on Friday morning, Mr. Rose said only that “a number of tests have been completed. However a number of tests still remain to be completed or are under way.” Until the analyses are complete, however, Mr. Rose said, “families who have been tested have been ad- vised to continue the pre- cautionary measures recom- mended by the Public Health Department. We hope to pro- vide a further update in the upcoming weeks.” Mr. Rose declined to fur- ther comment, however, leaving a number of ques- tions unanswered. Chad Powell, son of land- owner Charles Powell, said he had learned no more about the extent of the ar- senic contamination on the 14.5-acre farm, adja- cent to uncle Tony Powell’s land and only 500 feet from Clifton Hunter High School. “They gave us the same update as they gave to you,” the younger Mr. Powell said. “We are trying to remain patient and calm, but it’s worrying with those health tests. We have not heard anything.” On July 10, the Kingston, Jamaica of- fices of the Pan American Health Organization and the International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences completed a week of tests at the Powell farm, drilling as many as 45 holes, 21 in three particular areas, sampling soil, groundwater, fruit, grass and dead ani- mals, and testing 25 people in an effort to determine the extent of contamination left a decade ago from post-hur- ricane Ivan incineration of arsenic-infused plywood. The tests came at the re- quest of Mr. Rose and then Medical Officer of Health Kiran Kumar after the Powell family renewed decade-old complaints about post-Ivan abandonment of 250,000 cubic yards of contaminated ash, hazardous waste, tires and other refuse on the land. A 2006 assessment of the area by the Water Authority found traces of chromium, lead and benzene in the soil and water, and toxic ash above and below ground. In a letter to former Cabinet Secretary Orrett Connor, authority Director Gelia Frederick-van Genderen said “ash and mulch could pose long-term environmental problems …” While some of the waste – including 4,000 cubic yards of ash – was removed to the George Town landfill that same year by the Department of Environmental Health, most remained behind, left by government contractor MC Restoration. A second Water Authority report made in May last year, but not released until January, found “buried de- bris mixed with ash, baled metals and household haz- ardous waste had not been removed from the site … To the authority’s knowledge and, as confirmed by the property owner, the buried debris mixed with ash, buried on the northern part of the site remains in place.” In July, Mr. Rose and Dr. Kumar invited PAHO and ICENS to determine the ef- fect of the arsenic, in partic- ular, on the land and family. During the testing, DEH removed another 15 cubic feet of tires, paint cans, metal containers, plastic piping and general scrap with promises of further action. While the cabinet secre- tary had forecast test results by late August, Friday’s state- ment offered few answers. Among other things, it did not address Powell family health concerns or suggest when the full array of test results might be known. Nor did the release ad- dress possible contami- nation at the 850-student Clifton Hunter High School, due to reopen this week. “We tried contacting the PAHO directly, asking if they were willing to share any information, but we have heard nothing back yet,” Chad Powell said. He said a Freedom of Information request seeking documents regarding MC Restoration, government agreements and Cabinet re- cords remained unanswered after 30 days. “[We] remain fully com- mitted to seeing this im- portant process completed,” Mr. Rose said. “In closing, we wish to publicly thank the families involved for their continued patience and cooperation.” Cayman Compass • Monday august 31, 2015 Make the best of every ground. The new GLE Coupé. Arriving this fall 2015, pre order yours today. For further info email chad.phillipps@carcitycayman.com.. Car City, Durham Dr. Industrial Park, PO Box 10440 APO, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, Sales: (345) 949-0440 Arsenic test results incomplete, questions remain “We are trying to remain patient and calm, but it’s worrying with those health tests.” Chad Powell, son of Frank Sound landowner Charles Powell Mr. Rose Heroes Day 2016 will honor pioneers from Cayman’s farming commu- nities, and the public is in- vited to submit nominations for “Pioneers in Agriculture” from Sept. 1-30. The public is asked to nominate people who have made significant contributions to agriculture in the Cayman Islands over the decades. Nominations can be made in five categories: ■■ Early Pioneer – will rec- ognize a person, alive or deceased, who has made a significant con- tribution prior to 1960 to the development or de- livery of agriculture in the Cayman Islands. ■■ Pioneer – will recognize a person, alive or de- ceased, who has made a significant contribution, between 1960 to 2005 to the development or de- livery of agriculture in the Cayman Islands. ■■ Emerging Pioneer – will recognize an individual who has made a signifi- cant contribution from 2005 to the present to the development or de- livery of agriculture in the Cayman Islands. ■■ Memorial Scroll – will recognize a deceased person who was a leader or notable contributor to the development or de- livery of agriculture in the Cayman Islands. ■■ Long Service Award – will recognize an in- dividual who is alive, who may not neces- sarily have been a leader but is a long- standing contributor to the development or delivery of agriculture in the Cayman Islands for 10 or more years. NomiNatioNs opeN for ‘pioNeers iN agriculture’ Leanni Tibbetts, a freshman at the Florida Institute of Technology who is pursuing a degree in aviation management, is the recipient of Butterfield Bank’s 2015 undergraduate scholarship. Ms. Tibbetts, a Triple C School graduate, said she hopes to return home to be a pilot for Cayman Airways. “Leanni is a passionate, disciplined, and ambi- tious young Caymanian woman who impressed us with her dedication to her studies, extracurric- ular activities and progres- sion in her chosen career,” Joanna Virtue-Markman, Butterfield’s human re- sources manager, said in a press release. “We are pleased to have been able to assist her in reaching her goals through our annual undergraduate scholarship.” The scholarship awards the selected stu- dent with up to US$30,000 per year, for a maximum of four years of study. “We congratulate Leanni and wish her the very best of luck in her studies,” Butterfield Deputy Managing Director Michael McWatt said in the press re- lease. “Butterfield continues to be committed to the de- velopment of Cayman’s young people and hope that through this scholarship that we can have a positive impact on the development of tomorrow’s leaders.” Butterfield’s under- graduate scholarship pro- gram began in 1993 to mark the 25th anniversary of the bank in the Cayman Islands. The scholarship is awarded to Caymanian stu- dents between the ages of 17 and 25 with proven ac- ademic achievements and leadership abilities. The application process for the 2016 scholarship will begin in February. Leanni Tibbetts awarded Butterfield scholarship Scholarship recipient Leanni Tibbetts, center, with Joanna Virtue- Markman and Mike McWatt of Butterfield Bank.6 REGIONAL NEWS Monday august 31, 2015 • Cayman Compass NEW ORLEANS (AP) – The Gulf Coast and New Orleans observed the 10th anniver- sary of Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest storms in American history, in ways both devout and fes- tive. Church bells rang and brass bands played as people across the storm-ravaged coast remembered the past and looked to the future. “Some people said that we shouldn’t come back. Some people said that we couldn’t come back,” said New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu. “Yet 10 years later here we are. Still standing.” The storm killed more than 1,800 people and caused $151 billion in damage, in one of the country’s dead- liest and most costly natural disasters. Many of the deths came in New Orleans when levees protecting the city burst, submerging 80 percent of the Crescent City in water. The dead and those who still struggle to rebuild were not far from anyone’s thoughts Saturday, from Mississippi where church bells rang out to mark when the storm made landfall to a commemoration at the New Orleans memorial containing bodies of people never claimed or never identified. As the church bells rang, 80-year-old Eloise Allen wept softly into a tissue as she leaned against her rusting Oldsmobile. “I feel guilty,” said Allen, whose house in Bay St. Louis was damaged but inhabit- able after the storm. “I didn’t go through what all the other people did.” Saturday was a day to re- member what “all the other people” went through. Those who were lifted from roof- tops by helicopters, those who came home to find only concrete steps as evidence of where their house used to be, those whose bodies were never claimed after the storm. But the mourning Saturday was balanced by a celebration of how far the re- gion has come. At the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, thousands of people gath- ered to take part in an eve- ning of prayer, music and speeches including by former President Bill Clinton. He had helped raise money for Katrina victims. He weighed into a debate that has bubbled up during the Katrina anniversary about whether New Orleans’ post-Katrina story is one of a city resurrected or of people left behind. Tourism in the Crescent City is booming, real estate prices have skyrock- eted and the city’s population continues to grow. But the re- covery has been uneven with many neighborhoods – espe- cially African-American ones – still struggling. Clinton said the city should be happy and celebrate its progress but at the same time keep working. “Have a good time New Orleans. You earned it,” Clinton said. “And tomorrow wake up and say ‘Look at what we did. I bet we can do the rest too.’” In Biloxi, Mississippi, clergy and community leaders gathered at a newly built Minor League Baseball park for a memorial to Katrina’s victims and later that evening the park hosted a concert cel- ebrating the recovery. During a prayer service at a seaside park in Gulfport, former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour praised vol- unteers who worked on the Katrina recovery. He said more than 954,000 volun- teers came from around the country to Mississippi in the first five years after the storm, and many were moti- vated by faith. “They thought it was God’s command to try to help people in need,” Barbour said. Katrina’s force caused a massive storm surge that scoured the Mississippi coast, pushed boats far in- land and wiped houses off the map. Glitzy casinos and con- dominium towers have been rebuilt. But overgrown lots and empty slabs speak to the slow recovery in some communities. In New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward, residents and com- munity activists gathered Saturday at the levee where Katrina’s storm waters broke through and submerged the neighborhood. Once a bastion of black home ownership, it still hasn’t regained anywhere near its pre-Katrina popula- tion. But a day of events il- lustrated how attached the residents who have returned are to their community. After the speeches were done, a parade snaked through the neighborhood while music played from boom boxes and people sold water from ice chests under the hot sun. Clarence Davis’s family home was four blocks from the levee. He evacuated before Katrina and eventually re- turned to the region, but now lives in the suburbs. He came back Saturday just to find old faces from the neighborhood but he couldn’t bring himself to see the vacant lot where his house used to be. “The family home is what kept us together and it’s gone,” he said. His family is scattered now in Houston, Atlanta and Louisiana as are many of his neighbors. Thousands of volun- teers spread out across New Orleans, echoing the volun- teers who helped the city and region recover after Katrina and still come to the city to this day. In a city where people form strong bonds over neighborhoods, from the Lower 9th Ward, to Broadmoor, to Gentilly and Lakeview, many choose to stay local on Saturday in one of the many neighborhood events across the city. “New Orleans will always be in my blood,” a silver- haired Juanita Fields said Saturday in what was the badly flooded Pontchartrain Park, an African-American neighborhood near Southern University New Orleans. She recounted her post- Katrina experiences – fear and thirst in a sweltering Superdome, eventual trans- port to Kansas – with humor, grace and at times defiance. She finally returned in 2012. She is happy about the city’s recovery, but not about the unevenness of that recovery that saw the city’s poorest suffer. She believes some “grieved themselves to death,” over the destruction and their inability to return or rebuild. But she’s optimistic that the city will continue to re- cover. “It will. It’s going to take us a while.” BEACH ACCESS SPACE & STORAGE HEALTHY RETURNS AFFORDABLE LUXURY PET FRIENDLY HOWARD MCLAUGHLIN 326-2600 3BED + DEN, 2400SQFT, PRICES FROM US$885,000 FOR MORE INFO VISIT: WWW.BOGGYSANDS.COM STEFAN PRIOR 924-7758 MLS404731-MLS404737 Member of CIREBA New Orleans, Gulf coast mark 10th anniversary of Katrina “Some people said that we shouldn’t come back. Some people said that we couldn’t come back. Yet 10 years later here we are. Still standing.” Mitch Landrieu, mayor, New Orleans Musicians lead the procession Saturday during a wreath laying ceremony at the Hurricane Katrina Memorial, on the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina making landfall in New Orleans. - Photos: AP Former President Bill Clinton speaks on Saturday in New Orleans. FAn dies AFter FAll From uPPer deck At AtlAntA BrAves gAme ATLANTA (AP) – The U.S. flag flew at half-staff at Turner Field on Sunday, one day after a fan died following his fall from the upper deck into the lower-level stands during a game between the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees. Mary Beth Hauptle, an investigator with the Fulton County Medical Examiner, identified the victim as Gregory K. Murrey, 60, of Alpharetta, Georgia. Murrey was pronounced dead at Grady Memorial Hospital. The Braves said Sunday they are “deeply saddened” by Murrey’s death. “Greg was a valued and longtime season-ticket holder and an incredibly passionate Braves fan,” the team said in a state- ment. “This tragic loss is felt throughout Braves Country, and the thoughts and prayers of the entire Braves organization con- tinue to go out to his family and friends.” The fall in the seventh in- ning immediately followed the introduction of Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez as a pinch hitter. The game wasn’t delayed while med- ical personnel treated the man for about 10 minutes, applying CPR before putting him on a backboard.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 African Truffles said it has 59 acres in production with a new contract from a European company for a further 74 acres. There are also farmers who have set up on their own. Cameron Anderson, who has land in the trout-fishing region near Dullstroom, inoculated his trees seven to eight years ago and last August his Weimaraner, called Shammy, unearthed the country’s first black winter truffle. “We were lucky and got four out last year and about the same so far this year,” Anderson said on Friday. “The trees need about 12 years in the ground before there’s massive production. Until then there are enough top restaurants and hotels in South Africa that will take everything we have.” One thing all the farmers have in common are the use of truffle-hunting dogs. Clyde and his pal Bonnie, an- other Jack Russell-English Beagle cross, were trained by Woodford Truffles. To teach them, they’re given treats every time they find a buried object that has been doctored with truffle oil, said Miros, who grew up hunting for mushrooms and truffles in Germany’s Black Forest every Sunday morning. The dogs don’t have to be expensive breeds, they just have to have good noses, Miros said. There’s a suc- cessful Australian truffle farmer who even uses American pit bulls, he said. “From 2016 the first or- chards from Volker will start to come into fruition,” Potgieter said. “We have one of the best climates for truffles with high altitudes, low tem- peratures, water, solar radia- tion. It’s going to be amazing. The southern hemisphere is going to be one of the biggest producers in the future.” © 2015, Bloomberg News are to be allocated to occu- pations based upon merely subjective assessments of their importance in the con- text of the local economy,” the chief justice wrote in his 40-page judgment. The judgment also served to clarify a significant point of contention in immigra- tion appeals cases during which the legislation is amended – often more than once – before an applicant’s appeal is heard. Justice Smellie essen- tially ruled that applicants cannot be disadvantaged by the newly amended law if they applied under an earlier version of the Immigration Law. Basically, the law the person applied under should be the one used to determine his or her appeal. Appeals cases The issue in the cases decided Friday was that both Ms. Hutchinson-Green and Alisha Racz had what amounted to arbitrary ap- peals rulings against them by the Immigration Appeals Tribunal. In both cases, the wom- en’s permanent residence ap- plications were denied by the Caymanian Status and Permanent Residency Board. Their cases were appealed to the tribunal, which in both cases increased the number of points awarded to the ap- plicants in some categories. However, the appeals board inexplicably reduced points awarded in other categories below what the immigration board initially had ruled. In Ms. Hutchinson- Green’s case, points were de- ducted from her occupation, even though her job had not changed; her skills, though she had engaged in additional training during the period of her appeal; and her salary, even though her pay had in- creased during the period. In addition, some of the materials used by the Immigration Appeals Tribunal to judge Ms. Hutchinson-Green’s applica- tion were not included in the law or regulations and ap- peared to be “policy docu- ments” created by the board, Justice Smellie wrote. These “policy documents” were never shown to the appli- cant at the time and she was never given a chance to respond to them, Ms. Hutchinson-Green’s attorney Robin McMillan said. In Ms. Racz’s case, points were reduced for her oc- cupation and salary in a manner which Mr. McMillan said “created the appear- ance of bias” in the appeals tribunal’s deliberations. Also noted in the chief justice’s ruling was what he described as “unconscionably long delays” in hearing one of the cases. Ms. Hutchinson- Green’s PR application was submitted in November 2006 and wasn’t finally rejected by the appeals tribunal until October 2013. During that pe- riod, the Immigration Law was amended more than 10 times, the judgment stated. Judgment Justice Smellie ruled that in both cases the Immigration Appeals Tribunal “impeded the course of justice” by using materials to judge the per- manent residence applica- tions without allowing ei- ther applicant to speak to that material. The tribunal also failed to show the applicants, or even the court, how it had used those materials in judging the applications, so the court could not deter- mine the legal “reasonable- ness” of the appointed body’s decision-making. This led Justice Smellie to declare the appeals decisions “irrational” under section 19 of the Cayman Islands Constitution Order, which states that all decisions of public bodies must be ra- tional, proportionate, legal and procedurally fair. Justice Smellie also or- dered that the govern- ment pay costs for the applicants’ attorneys. Cayman Compass • Monday august 31, 2015 September 5th, 2015 M / F U12, 12-14, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60+; Pram & Pet Register online: www.caymanactive.com/fidelityfunrun 7:30 a.m. on Walkers Rd opposite the former John Gray High School Divisions: September 12th, 2015 September 19th, 2015 FidelityH EA LT H WALKTHIS WAY! GR A ND CA YM AN 201 5 GR A ND CA YM A N 201 5 Join us at the Fidelity fun run series Chief Justice’s ruling questions ‘opaque’ and ‘arbitrary’ permanent residence policy Chief Justice Smellie CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Truffles on billionaire’s farm fuel South African industry The fungi are ugly, wrinkly and smelly, but the Jack Russell-cross named Clyde who discovered the first black winter truffle in South Africa’s Western Cape province has helped confirm the country can grow these valuable tubers. Clyde’s 7-ounce black truffle had been growing for six years under an oak tree on the Altima wine farm near Franschhoek owned by billionaire Johann Rupert, chairman of luxury- goods maker Cie Financiere Richemont. Cape Town-based Woodford Truffles, the com- pany that inoculated English oaks with mycelium spores and planted them in Altima’s orchards in 2009, thinks South Africa can reach annual sales of 250 million rand ($19.3 mil- lion) within 10 years. “This is the begin- ning,” Volker Miros, head of Woodford Truffles, said by phone from Cape Town. “We have now found five truffles in two orchards in the last two weeks. We put the dogs in, and bingo. Six orchards are planted and if we get 10 kilograms next year we’ll be very happy.” Woodford Truffles enters joint-venture agreements with farms where the ground gets cold enough in winter to allow the tubers to develop. It’s not the only company in the game – African Truffles started inoc- ulations four to five years ago with three different species which are already showing early signs of success, ac- cording to Leon Potgieter who runs the enterprise. South African-grown fresh black winter truffles should fetch about 22,000 rand per kilo- gram, Potgieter said. “We hope to be able to do 50 kilograms [110 pounds] per hectare and we’re ex- pecting to go to 500 hectares [1,236 acres] at least,” Miros, 75, said. “We have six farms signed up with another 12, maybe, signing up this year.” Farmers use dogs to sniff out the delicacies. - Photo: Woodford truffles via BloomBerg NeWsThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 signed off by auditors and were not ready to be pre- sented to members at the meeting Saturday. Mr. Blake said a special congress would be called to present the ac- counts once the outstanding issues were dealt with. Philip Rankin, of Rankin Berkower, certified public ac- countants, said certain trans- actions had raised red flags during his firm’s audit of the association’s accounts. He confirmed that the suspicious transactions had been re- ferred to the Anti-Corruption Commission for review. Commission secretariat manager Deborah Bodden released a brief statement Friday evening, stating, “The Anti-Corruption Commission can confirm that a matter in- volving the Cayman Islands Football Association has been brought to the Commission’s attention. This matter is being reviewed.” In the run-up to Saturday’s meeting, government an- nounced it was pulling its funding from the football as- sociation amid concerns over how the election process was being handled. The decision to exclude Mr. Moxam and Sharon Roulstone, who had both signaled their intent to run for leadership roles, drew criticism from Sports Minister Osbourne Bodden, who called on CIFA to hold “free and fair elections.” The association responded that it had a clear process in its constitution, and that Mr. Moxam and Ms. Roulstone had failed to secure the min- imum support required to run. As a result, Mr. Blake and Mark Campbell reassumed their roles of first vice president and assistant general secretary, uncontested, on Saturday. On Sunday, Minister Bodden said, “I’m surprised in light of these revelations that the executive didn’t postpone the annual general meeting, stand down and allow new, free and clear elections in the public interest.” Speaking after the meeting on Saturday, Mr. Blake said, “I’m planning to sit down with government and see how we can resolve this issue. It has to be about taking football forward. We are both stakeholders in the development of our kids.” Armando Ebanks, a 26- year veteran of Cayman’s fi- nancial industry, assumed the role of treasurer of the orga- nization, previously held by Canover Watson, who is now facing criminal charges in an unrelated corruption probe. Mr. Ebanks acknowledged he was coming to the role at a time when football lo- cally and internationally was facing increased scrutiny over financial management. He said in previous years CIFA’s accounts had been vetted and approved by inde- pendent auditors. But he said he would review polices on financial reporting and pro- curement and ensure the as- sociation is open and trans- parent about how it spends its money. Mr. Ebanks insisted the association would provide “full cooperation” to any in- vestigation of its finances. He added, “I’ve been involved in football as a player and as a coach and I’m hoping my experience and my financial background will add value at the executive level.” Mr. Moxam, currently di- rector of Cayman’s national football teams, attended Saturday’s meeting despite having been blocked from running for the first vice president’s role. He said he and Ms. Roulstone were still considering their next move. “A lot of what was said at the meeting confirmed the need for change and a fresh approach to the game, in my view,” he added. “The fact that the accounts have not been approved and that some transactions have been referred to the Anti- Corruption Commission should be a sign that something needs to change,” he said. Despite the controversy over Mr. Moxam’s thwarted attempt to run for elec- tion, government pulling its funding, and the prospect of an anti-corruption inves- tigation, there appeared to be little opposition among the clubs on Saturday to the current leadership re- maining in place. Ernie “Gillie” Seymour, technical director of Athletic Sports Club, said the mem- bership could not complain about the election process. “It is down to the clubs. The CIFA executive does not select themselves. There is a voting process, the clubs know the voting process. It is nothing new,” he said. Monday august 31, 2015 • Cayman Compass DOES YOUR CHILD HAVE EVERYTHING THEY NEED? #1 Alexander Place • Dorcy Drive, GT 926-5425 caymankarateacademy@gmail.com www.caymankarateacademy.com 4 Weeks of Karate for $69 including Uniform BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL Football leader re-elected; corruption probe possible Mr. Blake CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Officials cOnfirm new ebOla death in sierra leOne FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) – Health officials in Sierra Leone on Sunday confirmed an Ebola death less than a week after the country’s last known patient was dis- charged from a hospital. Samples from the body of a 67-year-old woman who died recently in Kambia district in the country’s north came back positive for the deadly dis- ease, said chief medical officer Dr. Brima Kargbo. Last Monday, the last known Ebola patient was released from a hospital in Sierra Leone, a milestone that allowed the West African na- tion to begin a 42-day count- down toward being declared free of Ebola transmission. Authorities were still trying to determine whether the woman in Kambia died before or after that count- down began, Kargbo said. The National Ebola Response Center had de- ployed teams to conduct sur- veillance and trace people who were in contact with the woman, said OB Sisay, the center’s director. “We should not despair as we have been expecting this,” Sisay said. “We need to stay focused and maintain our discipline.” The worst Ebola outbreak in history has killed nearly 4,000 people in Sierra Leone out of more than 13,500 con- firmed, probable and sus- pected cases, according to the World Health Organization. More than 11,300 people have died in the outbreak, mostly in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. A country must go 42 days – equal to two incubation pe- riods of 21 days – without an Ebola case in order for WHO to declare it free of Ebola transmission. It’s a benchmark that neighboring Liberia reached in May only to then experience a brief re- appearance of cases. Latest landfill report cites multiple risks of years’ accumulation,” the report stated. MLA Roy McTaggart told the Cayman Compass on Sunday that he believes a bidder to remove the tires from the landfill has been identified, although he does not know whether a contract has been awarded or concluded. “We know we need to get rid of those tires and find a solution,” Mr. McTaggart said. The assessment also states that the landfill needs to begin daily capping – cov- ering landfill waste with layers designed to isolate and stop the spread of contami- nants. The report notes that the landfill has only a thin soil cover on one flank. The report also recommends: ■■ Monitoring the ground- water well at least on an annual basis ■■ Monitoring the North Canal every six months to assess surface water contamination ■■ The Department of the Environment should re- instate annual sam- pling in North Sound to monitor marine water contamination. The consultants’ envi- ronmental investigation in George Town monitored ex- isting and new groundwater wells, surface water and sedi- ment sampling in canals and dykes surround the site and in North Sound, and dust and landfill gas monitoring. Additionally, samples of vege- tation surrounding the landfill and from North Sound were analyzed. Finally, historical data for groundwater and sur- face waters was considered. At the Cayman Brac land- fill, groundwater boreholes were installed and sampled, surface waters were sam- pled, and landfill gas was also monitored and sampled. At the Little Cayman landfill, where waste is burned, some soil and surface water sam- pling was conducted. The re- port found no significant pre- existing environmental data for the Sister Island landfills. Risks identified The report on the George Town landfill describes the varying degree of risks for site visitors, adjacent resi- dents and commercial users, and water. The report summarizes its risk assessment out- comes for the George Town landfill as follows: ■■ Site workers and visitors: Moderate risks from ar- senic in soils, hydrogen sulphide, other landfill gas trace components and methane. Moderate to low risk from hydrocarbons from waste storage area, assuming appropriate PPE (personal protec- tive equipment) is worn ■■ Adjacent residents (Lakeside Apartments or Parkside Close): Moderate to low risk from land- fill gas trace components and from methane (as a potentially explosive gas). Low risk from arsenic in soils. Medium poten- tial dust nuisance. High odor nuisance. Medium risk associated with ani- mals, pests, and con- taminated waters used for recreational pur- poses. High risk for nui- sances from landfill fires ■■ Adjacent commercial/in- dustrial users: moderate to low risks from landfill gas trace components and methane. Moderate risks from landfill gas trace components from con- taminated sediments. Low risks from arsenic in soils ■■ Groundwater: moderate risks from hydrocar- bons (due to spill and overtopping of bunds). Low risks for ammonia. Negligible risk for arsenic ■■ Surface water canals: High risks from hydro- carbons. Moderate risks from ammonia and or- thophosphate. Moderate to low risk from iron ■■ North Sound: High risk from ammonia in canal water. Moderate to low risks from am- monia. Moderate risks from metals. Cayman Brac A summary of the risk as- sessment for Cayman Brac is as follows: ■■ Site workers and visitors: Moderate to low risks from landfill gas trace components. Moderate risks from methane. Low risks from hydrocar- bons from the waste oil storage spills (provided PPE is worn). Medium risk from clinical waste disposed in the uncovered pit within the landfill ■■ Adjacent residents: low risks from landfill gas trace components. Moderate to low risks from methane. Medium nuisance from potential dust and odor. Medium risk from nuisance asso- ciated with landfill fires. Medium risks from in- sects. Low risk from scav- enging animals and birds ■■ Groundwater: Moderate risks from hydrocar- bons. Moderate to low risks from ammonia ■■ Shrimp pond: Moderate risks from metals leached from the land- fill. Potentially elevated nutrients and iron from run-off and ground- water have an as- sessed medium impact on pond water quality ■■ Ocean: Medium risk to water quality from po- tentially elevated nutri- ents and iron in ground- water base flow. Little Cayman ■■ Little Cayman landfill risk assessment outcomes: ■■ Site workers and visi- tors: Moderate to low risks from combustion products and metals in soils. Low risk from hy- drocarbons in soils ■■ Adjacent residents: Nuisance from poten- tial dust and odor is as- sessed as low. Low risks from animals or birds. Medium risk from insects. Medium risk from nui- sance from landfill fires ■■ Groundwater and offsite pools: Moderate risks from hydrocarbons. Moderate to low risks from metals. Low risks from ammonia. Moderate to low risks to offsite pools from metals. Medium risk to offsite pools associated with elevated nutrients, iron and solids ■■ Booby pond: Medium risks from air trans- port of smoke and com- bustion products. This report comprises “Task 2” of the first phase of the National Solid Waste Management Strategy for the Cayman Islands. “Task 1” was a review of existing environ- mental information and an initial risk assessment done in February 2015. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Yemen factions gear up for key battle Yemen’s warring factions on Sunday braced for a key battle in a central province, where victory could allow pro-government forces to move rapidly north into the heartland of the country’s Shiite rebels. Cayman Compass • Monday august 31, 2015 Drop-in evening on Wednesday 2 September Anytime between 5pm and 7pm at UCCI - above the library Masters in Human Resource Management Coming to the Cayman Islands in October 2015 for HR Professionals and Senior Managers The University of Portsmouth is offering a 5th Masters in HRM delivered by University of Portsmouth Faculty at UCCI. Two academic years of classes are fully taught on island in a series of 3 day workshops, plus a supervised research based project This programme is perfect for HR professionals and senior managers who wish to to develop HR skills and knowledge, gain a respected Masters Qualification and benefit from CIPD Membership For Class Schedule, Fees and Payment Plans and Frequently Asked Questions: www.port.ac.uk/cayman/hrm If you are interested please contact: stephen.pilbeam@port.ac.uk Or Just come to the informal drop-in evening to talk to Stephen Pilbeam Enhance your career prospects, gain a Masters and gain CIPD membership! As tragedies shock Europe, bigger crisis looms in Middle East AL-MINYA, Lebanon – While the world’s attention is fixed on the tens of thousands of Syrian refugees swarming into Europe, a potentially far more profound crisis is unfolding in the coun- tries of the Middle East that have borne the brunt of the world’s failure to resolve the Syrian war. Those reaching Europe represent a small percentage of the 4 million Syrians who have fled into Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq, making Syria the biggest single source of refugees in the world and the worst hu- manitarian emergency in more than four decades. As the fighting grinds into a fifth year, the realization is dawning on aid agencies, the countries hosting the refu- gees and the Syrians them- selves that most will not be going home any time soon, presenting the international community with a long-term crisis that it is ill-equipped to address and could prove deeply destabilizing, for the region and the wider world. The failure is first and foremost one of diplomacy, said António Guterres, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. The conflict has left at least 250,000 people dead in the strategic heart of the Middle East and displaced more than 11 million overall, yet there is still no peace pro- cess, no discernible solution and no end in sight. Now, the humanitarian ef- fort is failing, too, ground down by dwindling interest, falling donations and spi- raling needs. The United Nations has received less than half the amount it said was needed to care for the refu- gees over the past four years. Aid is being cut and programs are being suspended at the very moment when those who left Syria in haste, expecting they soon would go home, are running out of savings and wearing out the welcome they initially received. “It is a tragedy without parallel in the recent past,” Guterres said in an interview, warning that millions could eventually end up without the help they need to stay alive. “There are many bat- tles being won,” he added. “Unfortunately, the number of battles being lost is more.” True cost is staggering It is a crisis whose true cost has yet to be realized. Helpless, destitute refu- gees are strewn around the cities, towns and farms of the Middle East, a highly vis- ible reminder of the world’s neglect. They throng the streets of Beirut, Istanbul, Amman and towns and vil- lages in between, selling Kleenex or roses or simply begging for change. Mothers clutching chil- dren sleep on traffic circles, under bridges, in parks and in the doorways of shops. Families camp out on farmland in shacks made of plastic sheeting, planks of wood and salvaged bill- boards advertising restau- rants, movies, apartments and other trappings of lives they may never lead again. “This is not a life,” said Jalimah Mahmoud, 53, who lives on handouts with her 7-year old grand- daughter in Al-Minya, a set- tlement of crudely con- structed tents alongside the coastal highway in northern Lebanon. “We are only alive because we are not dead.” Inevitably, those who can are leaving. Families pool their savings and borrow from friends to pay smugglers who pile them onto boats crossing the Mediterranean to Europe and the chance of a better life. There they are dupli- cating, on a lesser scale, the scenes of misery playing out across the Middle East – camping out on the beaches of Greece, sleeping on the streets of European cities and joining the queue for asylum. A sign of the dangers of their journeys emerged this past week in Austria, when authorities discovered the decomposing bodies of 71 people in an abandoned truck – apparently migrants being smuggled into the country. Syrians accounted for the largest percentage of asylum- seekers in Europe over the past two years, and their num- bers are growing fast – 63 per- cent of the 160,000 people who have washed up in Greece so far this year were Syrian. But Europe is an op- tion available only to refu- gees with the means to pay the $5,000 or $6,000 fee de- manded by smugglers. Anecdotal evidence based on interviews with Syrians in Turkey and Lebanon suggests those who have already made the journey tend to be people who were better off be- fore war erupted. Others are saving what little they receive or earn, selling their land and possessions, in the hope that they, too, will eventually be able to make the journey. “Everyone I know is trying to go,” said Nada Mansour, 37, a mother of two girls who is waiting for approval to join her husband in Sweden after he paid $6,500 to be smug- gled there via Libya. “I am so happy,” she added, her eyes shining with anticipation, “because I will guarantee my children a good life.” © 2015, The Washington Post A makeshift settlement near the Bekaa Valley town of Zahle, Lebanon. The Lebanese government has refused to allow the construction of camps for the Syrians, so the refugees there have been left to fend for themselves. – Photos: the Washington Post/sam tarling ROME (AP) – The Italian en- ergy company Eni SpA an- nounced Sunday it has dis- covered a “supergiant” natural gas field off Egypt, describing it as the “largest ever” found in the Mediterranean Sea. The news came a day after Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi met in Cairo with Egyptian President Abdel- Fattah el-Sissi, the Egyptian leader’s office said.Eni said the discovery – made in its Zohr prospect “in the deep waters of Egypt” – could hold a potential 30 trillion cubic feet of gas over an area of 38.6 square miles. The discovery well is about 120 miles from the Egyptian coast, and is at a depth of 4,757 feet in the Shorouk Block, the com- pany said. “Zohr is the largest gas discovery ever made in Egypt and in the Mediterranean Sea and could become one of the world’s largest nat- ural gas finds,” Eni said in a statement. “The discovery, after its full development, will be able to ensure satis- fying Egypt’s natural gas de- mand for decades.” “Eni will immediately appraise the field with the aim of accelerating a fast- track development of the discovery,” the energy com- pany said. Descalzi was quoted by Eni as saying that the discovery reconfirms that “Egypt still has great po- tential” energy-wise. He said “important synergies with the existing infra- structures can be exploited, allowing us a fast produc- tion startup.” Eni has been in Egypt since 1954 through its sub- sidiary IEOC. It is the main hydrocarbon producer in Egypt, with a daily equity production of 200,000 bar- rels of oil equivalent, the company said. “Zohr is the largest gas discovery ever made in Egypt and in the Mediterranean Sea and could become one of the world’s largest natural gas finds.” ITalIan energy company enI Spa Italy’s Eni finds ‘supergiant’ natural gas field off Egypt A 9-year-old boy holds a picture he drew at a school set up by a charity inside a Syrian refugee settlement in Al-Minya, Lebanon. He says he remembers his house but not the name of his home town in Syria.Next >