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Barbados Underground 
Melvin Skeete
Kingston Ontario
Canada
Dear Editor,
It is with great interest that I write this letter to you in connection with the proposed shredder operation for Bagatelle, ST. James. I would like to take this opportunity to share my knowledge of this kind of operation with you and the people of Barbados as a whole. I am the safety officer for such an operation in Ontario, Canada, and I must tell you there are many challenges that the operators and the community will face once the shredder is fully operational at the proposed site.
Recycling is not an issue here. Recycling is a very good thing and must be encourage but, the location of a recycling plant that includes a shredder of the type that is being proposed is something that must be carefully studied and all the pros and coins sorted out before it is too late.
As of now, the current situation at Bagatelle is a health hazard to the residents of that area, and should be corrected as soon as possible. Speaking under correction, I am not sure if Freon, Engine oil, Mercury switches, and hydraulic oil e.c.t is being extracted from vehicles, machinery and equipment that is buried there right now. All these and others pose a danger to the environment, our ground water, and in turn to the health of the residents.
Location
Bagatelle is not a very good location for such an operation. No matter how much new technology will be use there, the noise pollution will be above the level that is comfortable for 99% of the residents. I can assure you that the average sound level for the shredder when operating will be between 110 dBA and 140 dBA at the point of the nearest house or buildings. The noise will also reach the nearby Sandy Lane Golf Course. This will not be constant but, depends on which direction the wind is blowing. The quoted noise levels include non shredder noise source, and the natural environment noise. This will result in a significant decrease in property values. (One must remember that the residents were there first) not that they came and found a shredder as a noise source.
Dust and fumes should not be significant problems once manage properly. However the leakage of gas, oil, and other pollutants will pose significant problems to the environment, mostly groundwater. If Bagatelle gets the nod for the operation, the area surrounding the plant should be planted with tall growing trees. This will help in absorbing some of the noise.
Explosions
Explosions will occur from time to time. This will scare residents, and workers until they get accustom to it. Explosion results from such things as propane, acetylene, oxygen tanks e.c.t, that is missed by the shredder in feed operator and the material sorting people. Vehicle gas tanks if they are not taken out of the vehicles and cut open and drained will also cause loud explosions. (Shredder operational time should be limited to 8:00AM to 3:00PM Monday to Friday, giving residents some off time).
Export
For the company to export the shredded material to North America, certain conditions will have to be met. Freon and Mercury switches will have to be taken out of the vehicles, and household appliances. I am not sure what the requirements for Asia are. It is best for the environment to remove this material before shredding.
Summary
As I mention before, recycling is not what is being question here. It is the location of a scrap material shredder. Barbados is a very small island, with no one point no more than just over an hour away. I can’t understand why the recycling company would want to operate a shredder at Bagatelle knowing full well the attention and problems that will be associated with such a plant. Spring Hall St. Lucy would be a much better place for a shredder. Note I said Shredder and not a recycling business.
Bagatelle could remain as a drop off and sorting area for the general public. Government and private companies however should deliver material directly to the shredder if located in St.Lucy. In addition the shredder could operate from 7:00 AM to 6:00PM Monday to Saturday.
I urge all players involved in the decision making process to carefully listen to the residents of the area to avoid future law suits which could be costly.
Melvin Skeete
Health & Safety Officer
That should be pros and cons.
@Stingingantmelvin
Can you speak to the specific specs of the Shredder which B&B purchased? Does your comment fit the equipment to be used?
Shredders in St.Lucy.Wind Farms in St.Lucy. Solar farm in St.Lucy.Airport in St.Lucy.
The new industrial development of Barbados?
Keep outta St. Lucy please the last virgin parish in Barbados!
How do you expect Barbados to develop. St.Lucy is suited for many types of industrial development. I was born in St.Lucy and I know the area very well. There are many places in St.Lucy that could accommodate certain industries without causing problems to its residents. A scrap metal shredder is a scrap statement. If anyone can show me a scrap metal shredder anywhere in the world located in an area like Bagatelle with dBA levels below the ones I mention I will withdraw my statement, that will not happen so I stand by my statement.
Put it in St. John and leff out St. Lucy! Dem people in St. John more backward than the whole of Barbados and they need some development!
The only real benefit to having the shredder located in Bagatelle is that it will be near to a landfill. I hope this is not the major reason why Bagatelle was chosen. Flock or Fluff which is shredder waste and is label as hazardous waste will have to be transported regularly to a landfill as it can’t be stored for a long time at the shredder site. I can’t say that the current landfill in St.Thomas will be the one as I don’t know that, nevertheless a landfill will have to be found to store this waste. This waste can be very dangerous. Legislation covering the operation and disposal of shredder waste will have to be put in place long before they are allowed to operate at Bagatelle. Permission from Town and Country Planning will not be enough to safeguard the residents, workers and the environment. Fires will also occur at the shredder site (please don’t think that this won’t happen) as lots of combustible material will be stored there once a shredder is in operation.