🗑️ Cayman Islands government under pressure to reveal waste management plans

The Cayman Islands Government (CIG) is facing calls from the opposition to provide clarity on the future of the waste management project, ReGen. Reports suggest that talks between the CIG and Dart, the company behind the project, have broken down. Deputy Opposition Leader Joey Hew has urged the government to disclose the expected timeline, costs and environmental impacts of continuing to dump garbage at a new site if the agreement with Dart is off. The original deal was signed by the previous administration just before the 2021 general election, but the new government has raised concerns about the cost and other aspects of the deal.🗑️

As part of the preliminary agreement, Dart was allowed to begin capping and partially remediating a significant part of the George town dump, reducing the remaining landfill area. However, with a rapidly growing population and unchecked development, waste generation on Grand Cayman is increasing at an unprecedented rate. If the ReGen project remains stalled, the government will have to find a new place for the island’s rubbish. Hew has expressed disappointment at the government’s failure to make progress with ReGen, blaming it for increased project costs due to delays.🏝️

Hew has warned that the government’s inaction could lead to significant environmental and financial consequences. The ReGen project was intended to provide a sustainable solution to waste management, reducing landfill needs and increasing composting and recycling. The plan also included extracting landfill gas for electricity production. Hew has called on the government to reveal its plans for waste management and to disclose where a new landfill site might be located if the ReGen project does not proceed.🌍