A transfer station could enhance the council’s capacity to manage its solid waste challenge

Jan 14, 2013 Letters

Dear Sir,
Please refer to a feature, which appeared in your Kaieteur News issue of January 8, 2013 headlined: “THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT ALLOW A SOLID WASTE TRANSFER STATION IN THE CITY” We appreciate the views expressed by the writer on this issue. However, it appears as though Peeping Tom has missed the central points of our letter and the need for this facility. In the circumstances, we wish to make three points on questions and concerns raised in that article.
First, the writer contends that: Georgetown is a small city and there is no need for a Waste Transfer Station. “Georgetown is a small city. It may loom large in some person’s estimation but relatively speaking…”.paragragh1. .
The fact is that, the geographic size is not the sole consideration in determining the need or location of a Waste Transfer Station. The route between Georgetown and Haags Bosch Landfill is a single artery which is heavily congested by vehicular traffic and hence garbage trucks would spend an average of 1½ hour per trip (approximately 20% of normal working day). Time which could be spent collecting waste, waste could be used to dispose of waste at the nearby Transfer Station.
Second, we note in paragraphs 3 and 4, that Peeping Tom described a transfer station as a storage dump and eye sore. However, a properly designed and managed Waste Transfer Station is nothing near Le Repentir Dump – that was an open dump. Waste Transfer Stations are indoor facilities (fully enclosed by roof and sides) with appropriate Air Vents and Air Scrubbers. In addition as the name implies the waste arriving at the Station is IMMEDIATELY mechanically transfer to larger Hydraulically Sealed Compactors (larger specialised containers) with higher compaction factor or crushing factor than those of the normal garbage trucks. So instead of having 5 garbage trucks heading to the landfill the waste is now consolidated into 1 vehicle. Transfer Stations are not intended as Waste Storage Depot.
Finally, Peeping Tom seems to describe the project as Land Grabbing. Again, companies that get involved in land grabbing have no relevance in determining the need for the construction of Waste Transfer Station in Georgetown.
Again, transfer stations offer other advantages including:
a. Waste Collection Point
When municipalities or Waste Haulage Contractors are on strike all cities use Transfer Station as advisory point for residence to drop off waste.
b. Georgetown still have horse- drawn carts and small vehicles picking up waste and these would never travel the distance to Haags Bosch to off load so the Station provides a link between these collectors and the Landfill.
c. Transfer Stations also allow Collectors to work in the nights to clear busy city routes which are difficult to clear in the day since waste taken to the Transfer Station would be immediately be transferred to Hydraulically Sealed Compactors to be taken to the landfill as earliest opportunity
d. Most modern Transfer Stations have adds-on to allow for sorting and recycling of waste before unwanted Waste is sent to Landfill facility.
Clearly, a transfer station could enhance the council capacity to manage its solid waste challenge.
Royston King
Public Relations Officer
Mayor and City Council

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A transfer station could enhance the council’s capacity to manage its solid waste challenge

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