Let's Talk Landfills in Santo Domingo

The landfills are not supposed to burn. They burn for 2 reasons: arson and spontaneous combustion of the methane from the heat of decay of organic materials. Rice fields are burned to prepare them for the next planting, and slash and burn agriculture is widely practiced in the jungle. If the organic waste was collected separately and composted, this would greatly improve the landfill situation. If plastic recycling was possible, the fuel load would be reduced. We need infrastructure and a market for both composting and recycling to improve the situation. As the population grows, we have an unsustainable waste management system. The sewer systems, where they exist, are also a problem.

This is an ongoing issue here.  This past  10 days there has been a fire at Duqesa which is the largest  garbage dump in Santo Domingo.  Remember greater Santo Domingo has 1/2 the population of the country.  Some say it was an accident, some say the fire was deliberately set. Some say it was a controlled burn got out of control.

It filled most of SD and western SD with toxic smoke. Its still burning.

Now on the news we see Santiago dump is burning tires!  Horrendous!

As I understand it, the responsibility is municipal.  That is pretty much all I understand at the moment.  I will be looking into it!

Good article in the Listin Diario this morning (I think) about the people who make their living finding things to sell from the dump. Fascinating article about the very poorest who eek out a living.

Some issues we have - way too much garbage generated here.  NO recycling almost.  Even  plastic bottles from water and soda are NOT recycled. There is so much that can be done to make this better!

Like most other developing countries waste disposal is a problem.

There is a right way to do it and it costs even using landfill and there is a cheap way to do it.

I can think of other islands in the Caribbean with similar problems of dump fires and acrid smoke.

In DR corrupt people are making money out of dumps and not managing them. The municipalities pay the dump owners and do not regulate their activities.

There should be strong national laws regulating waste management processes. The informal sector now helps with some recycling but the dumps are in a terrible state generally. And it is only when something like the fire of the past week happens or when waste spills onto Duarte Autopista as it did at the Villa Altagracia dump a couple of years back, that it gets into the press and the politicians are forced to take action against the dump owners who no doubt are greasing a few palms all the time.

Sadly with Covid 19 taking so much attention and money, nothing will be done about this issue right now!