Regional Evaluation Municipal Solid Waste Management Services. Country Analytical Report, Anguilla. Evaluation 2002

ABSTRACT

[Introduction] The process of developing the data required to produce Evaluation 2002 was carried out by a PAHO representative in cooperation with the Primary Health Care Department and the Environmental Health Unit of the Government of Anguilla. Extensive cooperation was received from the Statistics Department of Anguilla and from Halcrow Group Ltd. UK. Anguilla is a very small country in the Caribbean and, as a consequence, all local participating bodies are directly linked to the National Government. Solid waste management does not constitute a major factor in local planning strategy. The solid waste system that is in place operates to the full satisfaction of the Government. The last major planning that was undertaken resulted in the privatization of the waste disposal system. Disposal is in a secure sanitary landfill located downwind from most residential areas. The area available for landfill is estimated to be adequate for the next twenty years without expansion. With so large an area, the necessity for volume reduction is not critical. Open burning is practiced for bulky wastes such as construction lumber and non-returnable pallets. Nuisance from the resulting smoke and odour is minimized by restricting burning to days when the wind is in a direction that puts the landfill site downwind of any residence. The current solid waste management system is considered adequate and is unlikely to change materially in the near future. The Government is showing a tendency to contract out most of the services associated with the system. The Government expects to reduce its involvement to pure supervision of the system in a relatively short time. The only major disposal problem is for spent tires which cannot be burned. The Government is examining the possibility of shredding these items for shipment off island as a fuel.