The long awaited scrubber is expected to be mounted at the Pockwood Pond incinerator in the first quarter of this year, according to Minister for Health and Social Development Hon Carvin Malone (AL). Photo: VINO

Minister for Health and Social Development Hon Carvin Malone (AL) said he was able to hold discussions recently with Virginia-based Consutech LLC, the company responsible for providing the scrubber for the incinerator at Pockwood Pond. Photo: VINO

Solid waste buildup at the Pockwood Pond incinerator. Photo: VINO

Minister Malone gave the assurance to members of the Third District during a public meeting on Thursday, January 30, 2020 held at the Valerie O. Thomas Community Centre in Sea Cows Bay, adding that he was able to hold discussions recently with Virginia-based Consutech LLC, the company responsible for providing the scrubber.

He remarked: “I had discussions with Consutech, the equipment manufacturer, and they conceded the fact that the scrubber, part of the payment was made about three, four, five years ago when the equipment was placed in, it should have been there. Their story was the sub-contractor went out of business, and they then had to purchase it for a higher price.”

He continued that the issue has been a “bone of contention for years, but they have assured me that … the scrubber is going to come in the first quarter of 2020, and Honorable Julian Fraser (R3) will not hold me to that, and he will give me a little more extension on this one.”

He added: “Because I came in, I met it and I am going to deal with it [and] it will give you cleaner air and [it will be] even more environmentally friendly.”

Promises

In the meantime, the promises of this scrubber device have a long history.

The incinerator has been operating without this critical device for many years despite officials in the Ministry of Health and Social Development contracting Consutech and paying at least $400,000 for the device which was costing $1 million since 2015.

The previous Minister for Health and Social Development Mr Ronnie W. Skelton said the incinerator was purchased during the NDP’s tenure between 2003 to 2007 and the scrubber was supposed to arrive with it.

That did not happen; however, and the incinerator was installed without it.

Scrubber systems are a diverse group of air pollution control devices that can be used to remove some particulates and/or gases from industrial exhaust streams.

Meanwhile, the incinerator at Pockwood Pond began functioning again a week ago, after being out of operation since November 2018 when fire destroyed the control panel.