Health Minister Vincent Wheatley has expressed regret over the ongoing smoke affecting residents of the First District, telling listeners on the government's Virgin Islands Voice programme that he hears about the problem constantly.
"I really empathise with the people in the First District. I get the complaints every day," Wheatley said. "I don't know how they could stand it. I couldn't stand smoke for five minutes."
The minister noted that First District Representative Dr Karl Dawson regularly brings the matter to his attention. Wheatley also recalled meeting with residents from western Tortola who came to his office to lodge complaints about the smoke emanating from the Pockwood Pond landfill.
After attending a waste management conference in Grenada with the Director of Waste Management, Wheatley said officials consulted specialists about tackling the recurring fires and smoke. "We have a methodology we're going to try," he told listeners. The minister cautioned that the method remains untested and its success is far from certain.
The proposed solution will involve using a bulldozer, which officials plan to deploy for testing during the current week. Wheatley did not outline the technical specifics but indicated that experts had offered multiple options for consideration.
The landfill has battled smoke and fire problems for years. Despite previous assurances that the situation was beyond remedy, Wheatley said he remains committed to finding answers. "Because I cannot have the people in the West suffering because of that situation. It's just not right," he stated. "I apologize to them," he added.
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