GBB Helps Guam Achieve Turnaround of Solid Waste Management Infrastructure
Guam Getting Cleaner and Greener as Key Milestones are Achieved
(click on picture to enlarge)
Frances M. Tydingco-Gatewood, Chief Judge, District Court of Guam,
delivers remarks during ceremonies commemorating the permanent closing
of the Ordot Dump.
(click on picture to enlarge)
Ceremonial locking of the gate
to the Ordot Dump. |
GBB
has developed, in addition to its broad array of solid waste management
consulting experience, skills and technical resources, a unique expertise and
understanding of the recycling and solid waste management challenges of island
communities. Since 2007, GBB has had important assignments in the
U.S. Virgin Islands, County of Maui, HI, and the Cayman Islands.
In 2008, the U.S. District
Court of Guam appointed GBB as Receiver to achieve the Guam Government's
compliance with the Clean Water Act as set forth in a 2004 Consent Decree. The
Decree, signed between the Government of Guam and the United States
Environmental Protection Agency, ordered the Government of Guam to close the Ordot Dump, cease all leachate discharges into the Lonfit River, and open a new
municipal solid waste landfill facility.
Two key milestones took place
in the 2011 summer in Guam as the 70-year old Ordot Dump was permanently closed to
waste deliveries on August 31, 2011, when the U.S. District Court of Guam
officially locked the gate at the Dump and, in a Court hearing, celebrated this
milestone of bringing the Guam Solid Waste Management Division into compliance
with the Consent Decree.
(click on picture for video coverage of
Ordot Dump closing - 2:40m)
(click on picture to enlarge)
Layon Landfill ribbon cutting ceremony.
(click on picture to enlarge)
Layon Landfill entrance. |
The next day, on September 1,
2011, at an on-site hearing of the District Court of Guam, the gates of the
Layon Landfill were officially opened, allowing trucks bringing waste to arrive.
As part of his remarks during the official opening ceremonies attended by
official participants, invited special guests, the general public, and the
media, GBB President Harvey Gershman said "This should be the only landfill Guam
needs. This is a resource, so use it sparingly. Reduce, reuse, recycle as much
as possible!"
The Layon Landfill is a
high-tech, environmentally sound and highly controlled landfill for
non-hazardous municipal solid waste. It was built with an engineered liner and a
leachate collection and removal system that protect human health and the
environment. With a capacity in excess of 15.8 million cubic yards, the Layon
Landfill will service the island of Guam for more than 40 years.
(click on picture for video coverage of Layon
Landfill opening - 3:43m)
The dramatic turnaround of the
Guam solid waste management infrastructure, with construction costs for the new
Layon Landfill and the essential supporting infrastructure, was completed with
the final cost coming in approximately $37 million under budget. Significant
operational savings have also been achieved in the area of equipment
maintenance, residential trash collection, operation of the Ordot Dump, and
convenience centers (known as transfer stations in Guam,) with expenditures for
these areas reduced in excess of thirty percent (30%) while dramatically
improving results for customers.
Previous milestones that helped
dramatically improve the services provided to the people of Guam include
implementing a successful trash collection system, rolling out a curbside
recycling collection pilot project, implementing several public education
programs, managing multiple important procurements, and reaching an agreement
with Naval Facilities Engineering Command Marianas to begin using the Layon
Landfill for disposal of non-hazardous waste from its facilities on Guam.
In the next few years, GBB's
work will include: environmental investigations conducted at the Ordot Dump;
overseeing the design and construction of a permanent closure cap as landfill
gas and leachate management projects are put in place; managing residential
collection services; renovating transfer stations; implementing a Household
Hazardous Waste center; and overseeing contractor operations performance.
What
They Say About GBB:
 "After approximately three years and five months since
its appointment, the Receiver has effectively dealt with many challenges to
reach two major milestones under the Consent Decree - the closing of the Ordot
Dump and the opening of the Layon Landfill. The court commends the Receiver for
its efforts and the tremendous progress it has made thus far."
-- U.S. District Court
Judge Frances M. Tydingco-Gatewood
in a court order issued September 2, 2011
that included a brief background of the case.
Finally: Kudos to
Receiver for Hitting Dump Deadline; Making Improvements
"The federal
receiver, Gershman, Brickner & Bratton Inc., has the island's thanks for fixing
and improving the government's solid waste program." [...] "In short, the
receiver has transformed the way the island deals with its waste."
-- Editorial in the Pacific
Daily News
August 30, 2011
>> Guam Solid
Waste Receivership Information Center
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