KINGSTON, Jamaica — Current chairman of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), Dennis Chung, is expected to continue in that position after approval by the Cabinet today.

Chung, an accountant and the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica, who was appointed to chair the nine-member board last year will celebrate his first anniversary in the post on April 22. He was appointed by former minister of local government and community development, Noel Arscott

However, despite the anticipated re-appointment of Chung, it is likely that a number of his eight colleagues will be replaced. The outgoing board also includes: Dr Conrad Douglas, vice-chairman; businessman Butch Hendrickson; Professor Trevor Francis; environmentalist Bevon Morrison; community representative Hazel Hamilton; Oral Rainford, principal director of policy, planning, development and evaluation at the technology ministry; and businessmen Burrell Scarlette and Pershard Williams 

The appointment of the new board followed the resignation in March, 2015 of seven of the 11 members, leaving it without a quorum. The resignations followed controversy surrounding the non-reappointment of former Executive Director Jennifer Edwards, after the fire which raged at the Riverton City dump for two weeks, crippling businesses activities in the Kingston Metropolitan Area, forced schools to close and caused scores of persons to seek medical attention.

 At the height of the blaze then board chairman, Steve Ashley, announced that Edwards’ contract had expired on February 24, but that she had been asked to stay on for another month. Shortly after that announcement, it was made public that Edwards’ contract would not be renewed.

The fire at Riverton, the largest in the dump’s history, cost the country some $240 million. An internal audit found that close to 3,000 payment vouchers, amounting to more than $400 million for cheques drawn from April 2012 to March 2014 were unaccounted for.

The auditor general also reported to Parliament that the NSWMA had not submitted an annual report in ten years.

Balford Henry