Caribbean countries seek to learn from Haags Bosch

Feb 25, 2019 News

As Government prepares to award another contract to open another cell area at the Haags Bosch landfill, Eccles, officials said that current practices and the modern systems at the site are being looked at closely by a number of countries in the region.
More than a year ago, the landfill commissioned a leachate management pond, which takes the dangerous liquid that comes from waste dumped at the area and makes it safe to be released into the natural waterways.
The idea is not to contaminate the ground water system that Guyana has been depending on to supply homes for domestic use.

Site Manager, Lloyd Stanton

Site Manager, Lloyd ‘Country’ Stanton, during a recent tour of the facility, explained that last year he made a presentation of the leachate system that Guyana has built at Haags Bosch.
Not only is it one of the most modern, but possibly one-of-a-kind in this part of the hemisphere.
Since being commissioned, a number of independent tests found that the released leachate water is safe.
It meant the project is working.
The complex $74M project was handled by S. Jagmohan Hardware Supplies and Construction Services.
The contractor has been working on other sites, including the Lusignan, East Coast Demerara one.
Haags is being looked at closely as Guyana is moving rapidly to start oil production, probably even before the year is out.

The Cell One area has almost reached capacity.

Already, the volume of waste has increased significantly, Stanton disclosed.
While there may be space on Cell One, the current area where waste is dumped, the facility has to move rapidly to open another one.
Bids have been evaluated and an award is likely soon.
It will take months to prepare the second cell, Stanton said.
Haags Bosch, the country’s biggest landfill, is located behind the Eccles housing scheme and industrial site.
Haags Bosch is supposed to introduce new systems in waste management to help reduce the long-term impact on the environment.
The leachate system used special materials, including HDPE liners and geo-textile materials to prevent the waste from seeping into the ground and into the water below.

Used tyres galore at the Haags Bosch landfill

The construction of the leachate management, using a high level of engineering, was the first of its kind in Guyana.
Commissioned in February 2011, Haags Bosch replaced the Le Repentir site, which was posing major health and safety concerns for residents of Georgetown from fires, and the fact it had reached capacity.
Sitting now on 150 acres, the idea is to get more land and use recycling and compacting to increase the lifespan, Stanton explained.
More than 150 trucks visit the landfill daily with an average of 450 tonnes of waste taken there.
Haags Bosch is examining options of shredding the thousands of tyres and using them as a base for the second cell, reducing costs.

The modern leachate ponds at the Haags Bosch landfill.

Other options are reconfiguring the cells to place more waste, thus expanding the life.
With the facility being close to housing schemes, the issue of the management of the landfill has become a concern.

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