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Bahamian Politics Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM


DNA: A Ruined Renew Bahamas Deal
By Branville McCartney, Leader, Democratic National Alliance (DNA)
Oct 24, 2016 - 10:42:39 AM

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Renew Bahamas, the company responsible for management of the New Providence landfill has officially suspended its local operations in the wake of Hurricane Matthew bringing garbage collection across the island as well as the company’s recycling component to a grinding halt according to media reports. In the wake of hurricane Matthew, cleanup and garbage collection is now, more than ever, an essential service. Without it, the island of New Providence is left open to any number of health hazards including rodent infestations, mosquito breeding and without proper remediation dump fires, which at any given time can spew toxins into the air.

According to published reports, the company’s executives have invoked the ‘force majeure’ clause of their contract which in effect, absolves the company of completing its mandated tasks due to a an unavoidable event or an incident which is out of their control. As a result, scores of Bahamians will likely be forced into the unemployment line – this at a time when few can afford to be without gainful employment. The Democratic National Alliance Demands to know what, if any, action is being taken to protect the jobs of those workers?

Outside of the obvious labor considerations, the withdrawal of services by Renew Bahamas has serious and far-reaching implications for the island of New Providence, particularly as cleanup and restoration efforts continue over the next several months. It also raises any number of important questions, chief among them: WHAT’S NEXT? After failing to engage with the company in a meaningful way over the past two years, what are the government’s plans now since it will reassume control over the landfill and its operations?

For the past several months the Democratic National Alliance has called for the Christie administration to make public the details of the management arrangement between the government of the Bahamas and Renew, particularly as it relates to remediation efforts at that facility which include the minimization of consistent dump fires. This has yet to happen! In the wake of this decision the government must FINALLY release the details of the Renew Contract including what specific components of the facility fell under its control and management. We demand that the Christie government finally clarify whether or not remediation was part of the company’s mandate and release any such plans for remediation at the dump.

In a statement issued by Kenred Dorsett overnight, the Minister responsible failed to speak to the way forward instead using his press release to play a game of tit for tat with the company’s executives over who failed in what way. This kind of unnecessary dialogue does nothing in plotting the way forward. The DNA calls for the government to provide details on the future of the landfill and its role in the management of the facility, sooner rather than later. The Health and Welfare of our people depend on it.

Branville McCartney

DNA Leader


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