MINISTRY OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE, INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING Government Information Service (GIS) SAINT LUCIA TEL. (758) 468-2116 / 468-2118 FAX (758) 453-1614 E-MAIL [email protected] stlucia.gov.lc/ SAINT LUCIA, WEST INDIES PRESS RELEASE Update on Fire at the Vieux Fort Landfill Thursday, August 29, 2013 – The Saint Lucia Fire Service responded to a report of an incident at the Vieux Fort Landfill around 8p.m. on Sunday 24th August, 2013. Upon arrival, fire personnel discovered a fire concentrated to a large heap of tyres. To date, the blaze continues. A collaborative team comprising members from the Ministry of Health, the Saint Lucia Fire Service, the Saint Lucia Solid Waste Management Authority , the Department of Fisheries and the National Emergency Management Organisation have been arduously working to assess the situation at the landfill and surrounding communities. The team has thus concluded: The fire is under control. There is a three phase plan to completely extinguishing the fire. The first phase involves dispersing the tyre pile. The next phase is excavating a pit in which the tyres will be doused. The final phase is to drown the tyres. This exercise should be concluded by Monday 2nd September, 2013. Schools in the vicinity of the fire, namely the Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School Campus B, the Plain View Combined School and the preschools located in the area, will be closed next week to facilitate adequate assessment and clean-up. NEMO would like to advise the public that sporadic flare-ups during the extinguishing process are possible. However, this is no cause for alarm. Additionally, there may be sediment deposits during this exercise but these deposits will be dealt with in due course. Further, NEMO wishes to advise the public affected by the pungent and unbearable odour to limit their exposure as much as possible. Should any respiratory distress symptoms occur, please see your medical practitioner or visit a health facility at the soonest. A subsequent update on this situation will be issued. By Alisha Ally
Posted on: Sat, 31 Aug 2013 15:49:26 +0000
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