Opposition leader calls for the City Dump plan update

By Staff Writer

Worried that the Government has not moved forward with the plan to deal with Cayman’s waste problem (called Project ReGen), the Leader of the Opposition Roy McTaggart wrote to Premier Wayne Panton to see if the Premier would advise exactly where the project currently stood at Monday’s special meeting of Parliament.

Mr McTaggart said that a crucial date for the project seemed to be missed and, as a result, the Opposition were concerned that this would jeopardise the entire project.

In the letter to the Premier, which was sent on 29th September, Mr McTaggart said that the project agreement signed with DECCO was heading to the crucial date of 30th September, at which time the “financial close” of the project should have taken place.

“There are potentially dire consequences if financial close is not achieved. Most obviously, unless an extension is put in place, the project fails. The immediate consequence of that would be that the Government would become liable for millions of dollars of abortive costs but, more significantly, it would leave Cayman with no solution for its waste problem with the available space at George Town landfill fast running out. That would clearly be an untenable position. Therefore, I would hope that if, as I suspect, financial close is not achieved by 30th September, the Government has reached agreement with DECCO on a suitable extension,” Mr McTaggart wrote in his letter.

However the Government did not give an update on the project at this week’s meeting of Parliament.

Mr McTaggart said that since coming to office, the Government had made no meaningful reference to the ReGen project that he could find.

“This causes the Opposition much concern given the importance of the ReGen project to our Islands,” he stated.

Mr McTaggart remained hopeful that an extension to the financial close deadline date had been agreed with DECCO, but said he felt the Government had missed a timely opportunity to update the country on this important project.

“The Opposition, therefore, are calling for full transparency from the Government with regards to the future of the ReGen project and the closure of the environmental hazard known as the George Town landfill,” they asked.