Chang says political cronyism behind landfill fire
OPPOSITION spokesperson on housing, water and the environment, Dr Horace Chang, has blamed political cronyism for the fire which has been burning at the Riverton City landfill, posing a serious health risk to persons living in Kingston, St Andrew and St Catherine.
According to Chang, the slow response ofy the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) and the failure to follow standard operating procedures caused the fire, which has been burning since Monday, to get out of control.
“…The dismissal of middle management staff for suspected affiliation with the previous administration meant that the institutional knowledge developed to manage such fires were not available to the NSWMA,” he charged.
In addition, he questioned why existing heavy equipment contractors “were not immediately used to respond to the fire”.
“It is my information that a decision was taken to find contractors who were ‘genetically’ linked,” he alleged.
“While the NSWMA was busy ascertaining the political genealogy of contractors and workers, the fire at the Riverton City Landfill rages on and thousands of persons will suffer extended discomfort and possible health risks in the name of political patronage and cronyism,” he further argued.
But in a swift response, Minister of Local Government and Community Development Noel Arscott, expressed disappointment at what he described as “outrageous claims” and urged Dr Chang “not to politicise such a catastrophic event”.
“The problem at the landfill is a longstanding one, the Ministry took action as soon as we became aware of the situation,” Arscott said, and extended an invitation to Chang to “discuss the situation and to address any issues he might have”.