Stewart

Alston Stewart, the former executive chairman of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), has been called in by the Ministry of Local Government and Environment to assist in battling the ongoing fire at the Riverton City dump.

Local Government Minister Dean Peart told The Gleaner/Power 106 News Centre last night that Mr. Stewart's assistance was sought because of his experience in managing previous fires at the dump.

"I thought that it would be best to get a second opinion so I called Alston and asked him to meet with my people and just do a little rap and see what we're doing and suggest how we go forward," Mr. Peart said.

He noted, however, that Mr. Stewart, who was forced to resign from the NSWMA after the Contractor General exposed mismanagement and $2 billion in contract breaches at the waste management body, was not being brought on as a paid consultant.

Smoke nuisance

He also noted that the fire at the dump, which has produced a smoke nuisance for residents of some Corporate Area communities and extending to parts of St. Catherine for more than a week, is no longer above ground but is instead smoldering below the surface.

He said the Local Government Ministry has also recently acquired equipment to assist in fighting the fire.