THE National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) says it will be thoroughly investigating the increased incidents of fire at disposal sites across the island, and is adamant that the arsonists will be brought to justice.

The promise comes in light of a major fire at the Riverton landfill, which started last weekend, resulting in a smoke nuisance for residents and businesses in surrounding communities. Prior to the fire at Riverton dump, firefighters had to put out a blaze at the Retirement dump in St James, which also caused a smoke nuisance over sections of the resort city of Montego Bay.

Chairman of the NSWMA board, Dennis Chung, said Tuesday that the agency will be working with security officials to bring perpetrators to book, wherever it is confirmed that the fires were acts of arson.

“Any such act against the citizens of Jamaica is a serious crime, and must be treated as such. As we see the various wildfires, raging out of control in other parts of the world, we are particularly concerned that such devastation not be inflicted on our country as a consequence of criminal behaviour,” Chung said in a release.

The agency has not been able to bring anyone before the courts since April 2015, when the last major fire at the Riverton landfill caused smoke to envelop the Corporate Area for weeks, sickening some individuals and forcing businesses and schools to close. That incident cost the country more than $270 million, according to the Caribbean Policy Research Institute.

According to Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie, who was speaking at a July 30 press conference, over the past two months, approximately 10 fires have occurred on landfills across the island, which could cost the Government close to $100 million.

Asked yesterday how the NSWMA proposes to nab perpetrators, Chung reiterated in a Jamaica Observer interview that: “It is very difficult to find out who actually lit it because it’s over 100 acres”.

He said that for now, the agency has to rely on individuals coming forward while the investigations continue.

“The most important thing for us is going forward, in terms of securing it and ensuring that we can capture perpetrators in the future, so the drones and the still cameras will be able to capture images, but right now it’s very difficult,” he stressed.

Chung said these security measures could be in place by later this year into 2019, as discussions have started to secure the resources promised by Government.

In the meantime, the NSWMA board said it will continue to take steps to further mitigate the risk of fires at the disposal sites despite suspicion that they are deliberate.

These initiatives include ensuring greater stockpiles of cover material are strategically located on each disposal site to enable a quick response; further enhancement of the fire prevention and control measures, particularly at the Retirement dump; and increased assistance from the police and military in monitoring the sites.