The burning of used tyres at Rabacca is to become a thing of the past.
Minister of Health Jimmy Prince has told Parliament that the government will set up a tyre-shredding facility at Argyle.
He was responding in Parliament to a question from opposition senator, Shevern John, who noted that types are taken to Rabacca regularly and burnt as a means of disposal.
John asked if there are any plans to discontinue this practice; and whether or not there are plans to undertake any environmental studies to ascertain the effects of that type of pollution.
Prince said BRAGSA, a state agency, has a contract to construct the tyre shredding facility at Escape, Argyle and approximately one acre of land has already been purchased to accommodate the shredder.
The health minister said he was also advised that there is a need for additional lands to provide for access road.
“BRAGSA has also assured that the Office of the Chief Surveyor has brokered an agreement with landowners and that the Cabinet has approved the purchase of lands in question,” he said.
He said that the chief executive officer of BRAGSA has indicted that once the land purchase is finalised, construction of the tyre shredder facility will start in 2023.
“And it’s in the Budget. This budget,” he said in relation to the EC$1.44 billion fiscal package for 2023, which lawmakers will debate from Jan. 9.
Prince said the Ministry of Health, through the Environmental Health Division, stands ready to work in tandem with other requisite stakeholders, including the Solid Waste Unit and the ministries responsible for sustainable development and economic planning to provide all the technical support necessary to execute any environmental impact assessment.
“I don’t think immediately there is any plan to do an environment study on that it may not be necessary considering that you’re going to have a shredder,” Prince said.
Where is the scrap metal place to get rid of old cars and vans ?