est. 2007

Barbados Underground

Bringing News and Opinions to the People

,

International Community Concerned About Cahill Waste to Energy Project in Barbados

Support for the Future Trust Centre’s call for the government of Barbados to be transparent about the Cahill Waste to Energy plant has been streaming in from across the globe to support local advocacy. The Town Hall Meetings planned for tonight […]and tomorrow promise to create greater public awareness in Barbados and overseas. BU joins…

, , ,
Fruendel Stuart (l) Denis Lowe (r)
Fruendel Stuart (l) Denis Lowe (r)

Support for the Future Trust Centre’s call for the government of Barbados to be transparent about the Cahill Waste to Energy plant has been streaming in from across the globe to support local advocacy. The Town Hall Meetings planned for tonight […]and tomorrow promise to create greater public awareness in Barbados and overseas. BU joins with thousands of concerned Barbadians to ask government to share information about the Waste-to-Energy project to enable an informed debate. A working democracy demands it!

Today we learned Alan Muller, the Executive Director of Green Delaware wrote to Prime Minister Fruendel Stuart to request his intervention and to meet with his colleague Professor Dr. Paul Connett who will be participating in the Town Halls.

Read full text of Muller’s letter:

32 responses to “International Community Concerned About Cahill Waste to Energy Project in Barbados”

  1. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Seriously David ?

    Who the funk is this American to write to The Prime Minister of Barbados ?

    Barbados is not a state of the USA.

    Yet another trug with a big ego.

    http://www.delawaretoday.com/Delaware-Today/September-2011/A-Profile-of-Alan-Muller-of-Port-Penn-An-Environmental-Activist-and-Executive-Director-of-Green-Delaware/

  2. ac Avatar
    ac

    Dear Allan Mueller(reply)

  3. ac Avatar
    ac

    Dear Allan Mueller(reply)

    The Prime Minister has more pressing issues at present time to address pertaining to the goverance of Barbados than wanting to engage with carpet baggers of your ilk who cannot vote or has any nationality linkage to barbados,therfore on behalf of all civil minded barbadians i respectfully ask You to get LOST

  4. David Avatar
    David

    @Hants

    Maybe the locals can learn a thing or two from those giving support from overseas. We have become a pack of lazy JAs who want to pass through the pearly gates but do not want to die.

  5. watchman Avatar
    watchman

    @ Hants
    Seriously Hants ? surely I can say, who the fuck is the PM of Barbados , for saying what he said about the leadership of the Unions in Barbados today , because I knew that lazy piece of a jackass before he became the PM ,

  6. de Ingrunt Word Avatar
    de Ingrunt Word

    “I created him, I knew what I was getting and we’ll fix this.” said the wife Camille about the husband Bill.

    “We created him, we thought we knew what we were getting. We’ll fix this.” said the forlorn Bajan populace about the PM and his political corrupt gang.

  7. are-we-there-yet Avatar
    are-we-there-yet

    Hants;

    I had the same knee-jerk reaction as you probably had when I read the letter from a mere Environmental Activist to our Esteemed and Honourable Prime Minister. Who he tink he is doh?

    But then, on reflection, I considered that our PM, through inaction related to the self insertion of some Ministers of Government into a situation that suggested to many that there was a possibility of large scale infelicities at the worse or gross ineptitude at best, and through the failure of his government to answer frontally any of the political charges brought by the leader of the opposition, has sunk from the level of a PM who should be defended at all costs to someone who needs to be made aware of the likely repercussions of the Cahill matter in as direct a manner as possible to reclaim some honour for Barbados.

    Perhaps a brash foreigner would make a better messenger on this score than a timorous Bajan.

  8. searching Avatar
    searching

    As i tend to do I went looking online for some info for myself on this project. any of the experts care to comment on this presentation I found

    file:///C:/Users/20000936/Documents/plasma_gasification_presentation.pdf

  9. searching Avatar
    searching

    here is the correct link
    http://www.dovetailinc.org/workshop_materials/plasma_gasification_presentation.pdf

  10. David Avatar
    David

    @searching

    You need to post the web link. What you posted is a link to your hard drive which cannot be accessed by the public.

  11. Guy Fox Avatar
    Guy Fox

    The Leader of the Opposition has promised
    if/when elected the BLP will investigate the
    Cahill agreements with a view to see if they
    should be terminated. BRAVO BRAVO

  12. David Avatar
    David

    The engineer for Cahill was carried in the news this evening assuring Barbadians the building of the WtE plant will be built to advance specification. If these guys are so confident about the technology why not attend the Town Halls, participate in the talk shows and other fora? And to discuss building a plant and there is no environmental impact study?

    Madness!

    On 14 July 2015 at 22:08, Barbados Underground wrote:

    >

  13. David Avatar
    David

    Support for Barbados from across the globe:

    AUSTRALIA (National Toxics Network Inc.)

    Hi Paul,

    You can add National Toxics Network Inc. name in solidarity against this stupid proposal.

    Regards Mariann

    _______________________________

    Dr Mariann Lloyd-Smith PhD (Law)

    Senior Policy Advisor, IPEN – International POPs Elimination Network

    Senior Advisor, National Toxics Network Inc.

    PO Box 173 Bangalow NSW 2479

    biomap@oztoxics.org

    2) CANADA (Durham Environmental Watch; The Its Not Garbage Coalition Nova Scotia)

    Dear Paul,

    Please add Durham Environment Watch to the list of those strongly supporting the fight against incineration in Barbados. Part of what is so shocking is that governments continue to be fooled by promises by these companies and that they don’t do their homework first. If they did, they would never support any kind of incineration (by any fancy name) and would instead adopt a true Zero Waste Strategy.

    Kerry Meydam, founder

    Durham Environment Watch

    Ontario, CANADA

    Dear Paul,

    Please convey the following message to the Government of Barbados.

    The It’s Not Garbage Coalition of Nova Scotia, Canada, strongly advises the Government of Barbados to adopt a Zero Waste Strategy and to completely reject the proposed plasma arc gasifying incinerator. You need to know that the technology does not work reliably and invariably ends up costing far more than proponents suggest. Even worse they pollute. But even more devastating is the overall harm to the foundation of economies by destroying resources essential for the future. We could go on in great detail with specifics of the heartbreaking problems such an incineration scheme will bring as it impoverishes you.

    There are better alternatives! Please look to what we have accomplished in Nova Scotia to start you on the right path. Come visit. We now have 20 years of implementation. Then make a clear plan to surpass us by quickly achieving an even more sustainable, circular economy with a Zero Waste Strategy.

    With every best wish,

    David Wimberly

    Coordinator

    The It’s Not Garbage Coalition

    EUROPE (Zero Waste Europe)

    Hi Paul,

    Please add Zero Waste Europe to the signatories. And if you want to show them examples of how to manage MSW without incineration direct them to our case studies:

    http://www.zerowasteeurope.eu/case-studies/

    If there is anything else we can do to help do not hesitate!

    good luck!

    Joan Marc Simon

    FRANCE (Zero Waste France)

    Dear Paul,

    Please count on our full support!

    Flore / Zero Waste France

    Flore Berlingen

    INDIA (Thanai; Zero Waste Himalaya; Conservation Action Trust India)

    Dear Paul,

    Please add Thanal (http://www.thanal.co.in) and Zero Waste Himalaya.

    We are with you on this and please convey our solidarity to the communities fighting this disastrous project.

    It is a shame for the Government to compromise 30 years of their citizens’ life?

    Shibu

    Also

    Add Conservation Action Trust, India, as well.

    Debi Goenka

    ITALY (Ambiente e Futuro; Zero Waste Italy)

    Dear Paul,

    Please add our strong support from Italy. Ambiente e Futoro and Zero Waste Italy.

    Rossano Ercolini

    MALAYSIA ( Consumers Association of Penang; Friends of the Earth, Malaysia)

    Dear Paul,

    Greetings from us in Malaysia.

    We are in solidarity with the people of Barbados in fighting this incinerator project.

    Please express our support of their cause.

    Organizations: Consumers’ Association of Penang &

    Sahabat Alam (Friends’ of the Earth) Malaysia.

    Regards and all the best from

    Mageswari Sangaralingam

    PHILIPPINES (Ecowaste Coalition; GAIA Manila office Mother Earth Foundation)

    Dearest Paul,

    Our solidarity to you and our frontline communities in Barbados. Sending all of you positive vibes and more energy.

    I am also cc-ing EcoWaste Coalition in this email as I know there will be lots of PH members who I am sure despite pushing back incinerator tides all over here at home can find something extra to support other communities in need.

    Please add GAIA Manila Office to your growing supporters. And may it never stop growing.

    paeng

    Dear Paul,

    Mother Earth Foundation – Philippines and the Ecowaste Coalition of the Philippines strongly support your campaign against incinerators. We likewise strongly support your campaign for a Zero Waste strategy.

    Waste incineration is the worst waste treatment option for the following reasons:

    1. Consumes vast quantities of resources

    2. Undermines recycling

    3. Destroys livelihoods

    4. Bankrupts communities

    5. Produces toxic ash and air emissions

    6. Emits greenhouse gases

    In solidarity,

    Sonia S. Mendoza

    President, Ecowaste Coalition of the Philippines

    Chairman, Mother Earth Foundation – Philippines

    FRANCE (Zero Waste France)

    Dear Paul,

    Please count on our full support !

    Flore / Zero Waste France

    Flore Berlingen

    EUROPE (Zero Waste Europe)

    USA [Green Delaware; EcoCycle International; Energy Justice Network; Institute of Local Self Reliance; Neighbors Against the Burner (St. Paul, Minnesota)]

    Dear Paul,

    I wanted to look at this before responding. It is a worse-than-normal example of an incinerator scam, which is saying a lot.

    Yes, you can sign Green Delaware (Delaware), and Neighbors Against the Burner (St. Paul, Minnesota) on to opposing this

    I tried to post a comment, but the site insists my WordPress password is wrong, so I can’t.

    Alan Mueller

    Hi Paul,

    You can include Eco-Cycle International as an ally in your fight!

    Eric

    Eric Lombardi

    Executive Director

    Eco-Cycle International

    http://www.ecocycleinternational.org

    Hi Paul,

    God, that’s dreadful. Of course, add Energy Justice Network to the groups in solidarity.

    Are there any ways out of this, or workable strategies to stop it that you can see? …aside from hoping the technology just fails on its own?

    Also, we just won the DC waste contract fight. Stopped a 5-11 year ($36-78 million dollar) waste contract to feed Covanta’s 4th largest burner in the U.S.! Victory announcement coming on Tuesday, once the council meeting goes by without any surprises… but we got the mayor to pull the proposal, so it shouldn’t be on the agenda (deadline was last Thursday at noon to be on the agenda) and the contract fails if not passed by the 23rd (and this Tues is the only remaining council meeting in that time).

    Mike

    Paul,

    Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) stands in solidarity with the people of BARBADOS in their fight against the proposed garbage gasification plant. This plant will be a huge financial and environmental mistake. It will also stop positive steps such as recycling and composting enterprises.

    Neil Seldman

    President

    Institute for Local Self-Reliance

    Washington, DC

    Zero Waste Case Studies

    The Zero Waste Case Studies are the testimonies of the successful development and implementation of zero waste strategies in Europe. Today, these case studies show that, in contrast with the outdated idea of burning or burying our waste, preve […]

    zerowasteeurope.e

  14. are-we-there-yet Avatar
    are-we-there-yet

    Searching;

    Search some more!

    This topic is not a straightforward one. Information from one authority to another is often contradictory. Get a feel for where the authors are coming from.

    You need to drill down to the facts that are relevant to successful adoption of this technology to Barbados? For example-:

    The information you need to get is why has the US not bought into this fantastic technology?

    Why has the PLASCO plant in Ontario Canada failed?

    What is the situation with Alter NRG now?

    How suitable is the technology for a small coral Island state?

    What are the ponds for?

    How many working commercial plants are they at around 1000 tons per day processing capacity?

    How many smaller commercial plants started and failed after a few years?

    Is the technology suitable and indeed better than others in terms of efficiency of electricity production?

    How does the cost compare with other Incinerator type technologies?

    How can the technology coexist with tourism in a small caribbean state?

    What are the hidden costs?

    etc. etc. etc.

  15. David Avatar
    David

    @Are-we-there-yet

    Excellent, will borrow your questions and post to FB Bajans Against Waste to Energy.

    On 14 July 2015 at 22:44, Barbados Underground wrote:

    >

  16. are-we-there-yet Avatar
    are-we-there-yet

    Guy Fox; Re. your 6:08 pm post.

    You said; “The Leader of the Opposition has promised if/when elected the BLP will investigate the Cahill agreements with a view to see if they should be terminated.

    BRAVO BRAVO”

    That sounds very weak to me. The BLP should be working all like now to ensure that the agreements are terminated within the next couple of months.

    This project should not be allowed to get off the ground.

    Yuh mean yuh agree dat de project should start and then if/when the BLP gets in it should be reviewed?

    Foolishness!

  17. David Avatar
    David

    Let us not forget MAM was in the OAS Cabinet when the BLP forced through a homegrown Cahaill aka Greenland and she said nothing. Are to believe she has grown from her experience?

    On 14 July 2015 at 22:54, Barbados Underground wrote:

    >

  18. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    Agreed AWTY

    Hardwood was to be followed up with vigour too….
    steupsss
    Caswell would have had two High Court injunctions in their tail ever since 🙂
    ….IF he was bupping instead of sailing the unity moses…

  19. David Avatar
    David

    It is being reported the Cahill team arrives on the island tomorrow.

  20. David Avatar
    David

    BREA’s presentation at Town Hall #2

    https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1629941453887164&fallback=1

  21. Sunshine Sunny Shine Avatar
    Sunshine Sunny Shine

    The entire world of experts should converge on the ignorance of this administration who are fully aware of the dangers of the Cahill project but nothing will stand in their way of getting a few million as outlined in their secretive plan. Dennis Lowe is so much of a shite that it is made obvious to all that the moment he was told he stood to profit big time, he pulled in Michael Lashley who loves money just as much as he loves horning people’s husbands, If you doubt me ask a certain minister who suck who; Chris Sinckler signed off immediately because he got get a piece of dah free loot and did not give a shite if a particular document was dated or not, that they did not give a rats ass about the impact of such a plant on Barbadians and the environment. They could easily live anywhere on the planet with their money seeing that the billions will be filterd out of the country to Cahill in all legitimacy, were in a nice comfortable spot, the bucks can be passed to them for years to come. All I can say to this whole scam is that the mek belief Prime Minister of Barbados, who wants to appear squeaky clean and upright, is as nasty as the inner workings of his dirty administration. Down with the Fruendel Stuart administration bunch of deceitfully wicked clowns.

  22. Guy Fox Avatar
    Guy Fox

    David
    The Cahill team can come to Barbados as
    often as it contents their hearts but the fact
    is that the WTE project is dead, dead………
    DEAD.

  23. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Guy Fox,

    I sure hope you’re right!

  24. Guy Fox Avatar
    Guy Fox

    Who is going to invest in a project whose completion is going to straddle elections and knowing the opposition has indicated a desire to investigate the agreements with a view to terminating?

  25. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Page 64 of BarbadosToday.

  26. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    https://www.hatch.ca/Power/Thermal/Projects/plasma_gasifier.htm

  27. ZZ@ Avatar
    ZZ@

    3 MORE YEARS?
    Controversial Cahill Energy project unlikely to begin before 2018

    Added by Barbados Today on July 16, 2015.
    Saved under Energy, Local News

    There’s uncertainty surrounding the date for the start of the controversial Cahill Energy Project, and it could be at least three years before it materializes.

    That’s according to Kerry McKenna, Practice Leader in Gasification and Coals to Liquids at Hatch – the Honour Engineer for Cahill Energy – who explained that designs for the project were still ongoing.

    Speaking from his office in Mississauga, Canada this morning, McKenna told Barbados TODAY that due
    to the complexity and nature of the venture, it could take between three to six years to complete the waste-to-energy project.

    “These projects vary in length. As you go through the engineering and design phases, they take a few years to design, and then there is also financing steps which sometimes delay these type of projects, so it could be anywhere from three years to five or six years depending on how many bumps happen to occur,” McKenna revealed.

    “There are a lot of factors and it’s a big window, but there are a lot of things that can still happen . . . but a concerted timeframe would be anywhere from three to six years.”

    The technology engineer stressed that there had been no agreement on a start-up date for the project.

    “I’m not aware of any confirmed date. There are a bunch of engineering steps that are going to be needed to be progressed through, so we are still doing a lot of design work and selecting the final technologies and things like that.

    “There needs to be an environmental assessment and a permitting process that needs to go through. So all those steps that we are still getting to, create some uncertainty as to exactly how long it will take in terms of the time for constructing,” McKenna noted, stressing that this was typical for projects of this nature.

    However, during a town hall meeting at the Lester Vaughan School on Monday night, the former professor of Chemistry
    at St Lawerence University of New York, Paul Connett, suggested that a waste-to-energy plant in Barbados was unlikely to become a reality.

    “Don’t get too scared, because they’re not going to build the stupid thing. It won’t happen, either because of the legal aspects, or the people of Barbados just won’t stand for it,” Connett told the packed audience gathered for the event, organized by the Future Centre Trust.

    “Before I came to Barbados, I had no knowledge of Barbados,” Connett said, in an attempt to emphasize his neutrality. “I have no interest in the politics here [or] the political parties, I have no axe to grind.

    “I am just going to give you what I believe, based upon 30 years of studying waste management.”

    Connett, who is a Professor Emeritus of Chemistry, and author of the book, Zero Waste Solution – Unthrashing the Planet One Community at a Time, suggested that a waste conservation solution would be a more suitable option for Barbados.

    “We want model solutions, and my dream for Barbados is to help this island become a model for the whole Caribbean. We want Barbados to show that an island can develop a circular economy, and persuade not only the rest of the Caribbean to follow suit and cooperate on this, but also to be a model for every island in the world,” he insisted.

    “I’ve been to many islands – Hawaii, Isle of Man, St Maarten, Curacao Puerto Rico, Guam. . . and they’re all struggling to handle the waste problem, because they’ve all taken the attitude of, ‘let’s find a place to put it.’”

    The Guernsey-based Cahill Energy announced in March 2014 that it had signed an “historic” agreement with the Government of Barbados to build and operate “a leading edge” US$240 million clean energy plant in n Vaucluse, St Thomas. The company said it would utilize “the most innovative technology available” to transform all kinds of waste on Barbados into clean, renewable energy.

    Opposition Leader Mia Mottley has questioned Cahill Energy’s ability to deliver, while warning that plasma gasification technology was “largely untested commercially”. She has also called on Prime Minister Freundel Stuart to release details of the agreement to the public.

    McKenna said while he understood some of the concerns being raised about the multi-million dollar project, there was no reason to fear.

    He pointed out that similar technology had been instituted in countries such as Japan, as well as across Europe.

    “The technology which is going to be used in the project, called plasma gasification, this process has been demonstrated in Japan where it has been operational for over 10 years. It’s being introduced in Europe and there are two major plants of similar scale being built in England right now,” the engineer explained.

    “It’s very well researched and used in England in terms of the health effects to the local community, so we know it’s quite safe,” he said

  28. Stephen Mader Avatar
    Stephen Mader

    The plant takes no more than 24 months to build once the initial three month study is finished. The project in Barbados, is $100 Million to much. The facility only needs to be 400 tonnes per day.

  29. David Avatar
    David

    @Stephen Madder

    What have you based your analysis on to determine capacity numbers?

  30. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    @David,

    http://www.fourthstateenergy.com/

  31. Experian Avatar
    Experian

    The dead give away is always that these shell companies have not contact details. No office, not employees, no telephone line, just an empty shell looking for ignorant and naïve people/country’s willing to give them a license to fish for funding and secure the ‘commisson’

  32. David Avatar
    David

    @Experian

    Just like 3s?

The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.

Trending

Discover more from Barbados Underground

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading