IF the spate of fires at the Riverton landfill were not so darn scary and potentially injurious to the health and livelihood of fellow residents, Jamaicans would be tempted to fan off the plumes of incompetence they emit as mere nuisances from a humongous mosquito destroyer. The incontrovertible truth, however, is that we cannot ignore the suffering, nor is it wise to minimise the danger these frequent fires pose to life and property. Pretending otherwise would be tantamount to a travesty of environmental justice — a form of justice to which all Jamaicans are entitled.

For decades, there have been on-again, off-again plans to convert that large expanse of land called the Riverton dump into a sanitary landfill. However, if our Government were serious about solving the problems associated with noxious plumes emanating from the many fires at the dump, it would not have allowed a 1999 Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) US$11.5-million loan to go like “Sammy’s mouth”.

The IDB loan was earmarked to improve conditions at Riverton, as well as at other dump sites, as part of a bigger and modern solid-waste management development plan for Jamaica. Instead of grabbing the opportunity, employing the requisite competencies, conducting environmental impact assessments, and finally executing on the deal, our Government pussyfooted its way into a river of inaction, mediocrity, and delays until the IDB cancelled US$7.68 million of the loan. As at January 2007, only US$3.82 million was used. Predictably, the IDB, in its final report on the Jamaican fiasco, said of the implementation of the project: “Very unsatisfactory; it failed to meet its development objective.” This is disgraceful, to say the least.

Research shows that fires have occurred at the Riverton dump every single year between 2004 and 2015, and the responses have been the same, whether they came from the former executive director, or from the incumbent, Jennifer Edwards. It has always been an issue of resources. Well, that may or may not be the case, but scarcity of resources is no substitute for creativity on the part of those who lead the agency.

As sad as it is, at least one disgusting similarity about these fires remain constant: They happen to share the same political colour of ineptitude — brown; an amalgamation of orange and green. As dangerous as the fires have been, they are truly equal-opportunity fires. Consequently, JLP spokesman on local government, Desmond McKenzie, can round up his mouth until the cows come home; the fact is that his party has been equally derelict in its duty.

We cannot brush aside the glaring incompetence, nor should we accept the “dip and fall back” approach to governance of a PNP Administration that prides itself on putting people first but continues to endeavour that they end up dead last on the “hierarchy of relevance”. We must not fall victims to political manipulation either; where the political Opposition promises to correct all the ills of society just to gain power. Yet, it is not only the frequent fires at the dump that should preoccupy our minds, but also the reality that the dump is a place where people, who have no other employment options, go to eke out a living. As horrible as it may sound, it is true. People from all over the country travel to Riverton dump to “work”. They hunt for bottles and any other saleable materials in order to earn a daily bread.

Lest the Government, the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), and the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) misunderstand what environmental justice is, or what their collective responsibilities are, let us drag them to the table of enlightenment and whisper loudly in their ears because the idea of environmental justice is rudimentary. It means that every Jamaican, regardless of background, has the “right to live in a clean and healthy environment”. Furthermore, environmental justice “is as much about people and communities as it is about issues like pollution and climate change”. I hope that Robert “Wrong Jungle” Pickersgill, Noel Arscott, and Her Worship the Mayor of Kingston Councilor Angela Brown Burke are paying attention. The Government cannot be serious about the environment, let alone climate change, while continuing to behave like a stooge atop an elephant whose sole obsession rests in playing with the elephant’s ears.

According to the Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CaPRI), the ongoing fire at the Riverton disposal site could cost the economy $272 million in economic loss. For, while CaPRI released neither the details of its survey nor the methodology it employed in arriving at its conclusions, the findings are significant. They are significant even though the assessment did not mention the long-term health costs associated with exposure to the poisonous gases and cancer-causing toxins coming from the landfill fire. There should be no hesitation on the part of citizens, who have been seriously or materially affected by the prolonged fire, to contact the Office of the Public Defender to seek financial redress from the Jamaican State, which appears oblivious of its responsibility to the people.

There is nothing mercurial about the behaviour of the Riverton fires because they have been happening for over 28 years now. For this reason, it is unfathomable that we do not have an implementable master plan to mitigate these occurrences. With this kind of a record of incompetence and insensitivity, how can we genuinely promote Jamaica as the place to live, work, raise family and do business, when we cannot even manage one lousy dump? Are you kidding me?! Who is going to take us seriously? Are things so bad financially that we cannot purchase a few drones or install closed-circuit television cameras around the dump site? Can these small things derail the economic reform programme we now have with the International Monetary Fund? Why is JEEP not involved in an ongoing monitoring programme at the dump site? Would the Minister of Investment and Commerce Anthony Hylton take investors to his constituency and to Riverton dump to promote investments?

It is because elections have consequences that we should not allow the Government to “slip-slide” its way out of taking responsibility to protect the citizenry by holding closed-door meetings to discuss what we already know — nothing. Alternatively, Government must do everything within its power to create and maintain a clean and healthy environment, regardless of the circumstances that may cause some to harm the environment by setting fire to dumps or improperly disposing of their garbage. If it is that criminals use arson to perpetrate their dastardly deeds, then we need to strengthen legislations and surveillance, establish the necessary regulatory framework, or enact new laws to punish deviant behaviour that exposes the entire country to grave harm. The time has come for the Government to act decisively to avert a lurking environmental disaster from happening. It should move to either divest NSWMA fully, or form partnerships with private sector interests to manage our solid-waste operations because it is not a cheap endeavour. Private/public sector partnerships could provide the necessary capital for a successful and sustainable solid-waste management programme throughout the country.

In addition to laws and divestment, Government should revisit the economic costs and opportunities of engaging robust recycling programmes in tandem with the private sector. But make this a small business-focused programme, since our traditional private sector appears very risk adverse. Above all, there must be sustained public education and engagement programmes centred on proper disposal and management of solid waste. We bury our dead all over the place; we dig pit latrines and make soakaways without regard for our underground aquifers; we dump indiscriminately without realising that some items are not biodegradable; and we are not aware of how we are contributing to adverse environmental conditions.

Government alone cannot do it. We, the people, must become active participants in the care and protection of our environment and solid waste facilities.

Burnscg@aol.com