Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Oct 30, 2025

Intruders using blowtorches at PWP dumpsite after hours

Intruders using blowtorches at PWP dumpsite after hours

Minister of Health & Social Development, Marlon Penn has said intruders have been accessing dumpsites illegally and using blowtorches and similar devices to retrieve copper and other discarded items. This, he said, might be the cause of some fires at the Pockwood Pond Waste Disposal Site.

Speaking at the sitting of the House of Assembly yesterday, Penn said there were two large fires this month at Pockwood Pond dumpsite. They occurred on the evening of May 16 and the morning of May 22. He said no one was injured and there was no damage to public or private equipment on site.

However, the smoke from the fires was a source of discomfort for many residents on the western side of Tortola.

“While the exact cause of the dumpsite fire that occurred on the 16th of May has not been established, the Department of Waste Management has uncovered evidence of persons illegally accessing the dumpsite after hours and using blowtorches or similar devices to retrieve copper and other metals from discarded items. Given the high concentrations of methane gas on-site, any form of intense heat applied in close proximity increases the likelihood of fires erupting,” the minister said.

Penn strongly appealed to residents engaging in this activity to cease and desist immediately.

“Your actions are not only detrimental to safe operations at the dumpsite but also have a damaging impact on the wider community,” the Minister of Health said.

He said addressing this issue required a more proactive approach. Consequently, he will be seeking additional resources to put towards enhanced security measures such as reinstalling security cameras throughout the property and providing security guard coverage after operating hours.

“I would also like to remind everyone listening that the solid waste disposal facility at Pockwood Pond is open to the public daily from 6 am to 4 pm. Only operators contracted by the government to collect residential waste will be allowed to enter the facility after 4 pm,” Penn said.

The minister said the May 22nd fire resulted from spontaneous combustion when the unprocessed garbage at the site became ignited by hotspots smouldering underground.

“To reduce the incidence of spontaneous combustion at the dumpsite, I am seeking additional resources to meet the need for adequate daily supervision of the operations on site. We are also seeking to divert a larger volume of combustible materials from the waste stream by expanding our recycling programmes in collaboration with Green VI and other partners,” Penn stated.

Incinerator still inoperable


Meanwhile, Penn said the incinerator remains offline because of mechanical failure and extensive damages caused by the fire that took place on February 14. That blaze destroyed the incinerator’s main control panel along with tis electrical system and contributed to material fatigue in certain sections of the building.

The Minister said his ministry is in the process of procuring the necessary replacement parts from the equipment manufacturer, Consutech Systems LLC.

“The company had already been contracted to supply a replacement Quench Tank and Ash Conveyor, along with a Heat Exchanger and three (3) Transfer Rams; all of which would be required to bring the Incinerator back online. Additionally, Madam Speaker, we are taking the necessary steps to purchase a factory replacement control panel, which is another critical piece of equipment,” Penn said.

He noted he has spoken with the President of Consutech Systems on May 23 and emphasized the importance of expediting the delivery of these critical items.

“It is important to bear in mind, however, that the process of fabricating, shipping, and installing the new parts will take several months; particularly in light of disruptions in the supply chain affecting key components,” Penn said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Temporarily Leave the UK Amid Their Parents’ Royal Fallout
UK Weighs Early End to Oil and Gas Windfall Tax as Reeves Seeks Investment Commitments
UK Retail Inflation Slows as Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since Spring
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Guidance After Strong Third-Quarter Performance
Reform UK’s Lee Anderson Admits to 'Gaming' Benefits System While Advocating Crackdown
United States and South Korea Conclude Major Trade Accord Worth $350 Billion
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
Vice President Vance to Headline Turning Point USA Campus Event at Ole Miss
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
×