…as gov’t seeks permanent solution to issue of waste dumping

THE Ministry of Communities Sanitation Management Unit is still pursuing a permanent solution to the issue of coconut waste, both in the Pomeroon River and in the city, and is currently awaiting the recommendations coming out of a recent study conducted.
The Issue of coconut husks in the Pomeroon River has been a longstanding problem and, earlier this year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was forced to impose a $1 million fine on Pomeroon Coconut Company Fat Boy Coconut Ventures, after over a year of trying to get the company to stop the dumping.

The company had reportedly dumped an estimated 15,000 coconut shells into the canals that flow into the Pomeroon River. The company, which is managed by Alphonso and Sons Enterprise, agreed to pay the fine. Coconut production is a big economic activity in the Pomeroon Region, however, the issue of the waste disposal continues to be a big problem.
The EPA has said that the shells and husks were a major contributor to flooding in certain villages, and more so, it posed a hazard to the waterways, since residents rely on the river for their livelihood. The company was expected to demonstrate to the EPA that it was capable of properly disposing of the waste in order to be given a requisite permit.
Scores of boat operators, who ply the waterway daily, complained that the floating husk poses great danger to them and innocent lives can be lost in the event of any accident. The husk is also causing the river mouth to become more silted up, resulting in slower discharge of water from the Pomeroon River into the Atlantic Ocean.

Head of the MoC Unit, Gordon Gilkes, explained that with solid waste management being one of the mandate of the Unit, the MoC had also undertaken to also see what solution can come of the situation

“We brought in a consultant to do a study as to what we could do with the coconut waste. It’s for overall coconut waste, but it stemmed from the issue in the Pomeroon River where a lot of coconut waste is dumped,” Gilkes noted in a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle.

“Firstly, it is environmentally unacceptable and secondly, because the coconut settles just below the surface of the water, it damages the boat engines. So we’ve initiated the study to see what opportunities there are for the recycling of this waste.”

The consultant is scheduled to make a presentation to the Ministry to get their input before submitting a final report on the study. “Before the end of the year, we’ll get the final report and going forward now we would see if either the ministry move forward with the recommendations or discuss the recommendations with the coconut growers in the region. Because, of course, they’re making large profits they should be able to take care of their waste,” Gilkes noted.

Gilkes floated the possibility of waste separation and the setting up of distinct facilities for the waste at Haags Bosch, the country’s only engineered landfill, to at least collect the coconut waste from Georgetown, even if not from the Pomeroon.

“In Georgetown, we have a lot of coconut vendors, and coconut is a huge market waste, and not only markets but other location where people are selling it. We probably need to set up a facility at Haags Bosch for coconut waste. Probably going forward we encourage the separation. There are a lot of options we could do to utilize that coconut waste, but let’s see what the reports says,” Gilkes notes.

Aside from the MoC, the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) has been conducting research on the utilisation of the by-products of coconut husk for agricultural purposes.

In June of this year, the Institute acquired a coconut shredder through the European Union-funded regional coconut development initiative. The objective of having the shredder is to highlight the economic and environmental value of coconut husk. According to a press statement from NAREI, coconut husks dumped in waterways, dumpsites and along parapets are actually raw materials with great economic and environmental values. Once processed, the husk could be transformed into coconut fiber/coir or cocopeat, which are used in different industries. The coconut shredder cost about US$6,000 and has the capacity to process 1,000 nuts per day.