Guyana’s Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development is gearing up to construct a third cell at the Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill, the largest waste repository in the South American country.
Puran Brothers Disposal, Inc. has placed a competitive bid of approximately GY$659 million for the construction project. The ministry’s initial cost projection stood at GY$666 million.
The urgency of this infrastructure augmentation can be linked to observations made by ExxonMobil in its Whiptail Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) that was recently presented to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for review. The company highlighted potential impacts on waste management infrastructure, especially for users based in Georgetown, given its growing operations.
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ExxonMobil’s contributions to the Haags Bosch landfill have been significant. The Whiptail Project alone is expected to contribute a substantial portion to the demand for Georgetown-based hazardous waste treatment facilities, the EIA stated. The oil sector and Guyana’s economic boom have led to a considerable expansion of third-party commercial hazardous waste handling, storage, and treatment facilities in Georgetown since 2019.
Additionally, Exxon’s non-hazardous waste contributions to Haags Bosch account for 6-7% of its annual volume.
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To guarantee the sustainability and efficiency of its operations, ExxonMobil has recognised the need for adequate waste management infrastructure. Consequently, the company said it has initiated mitigation measures to address potential future capacity constraints.
The Haags Bosch landfill, which completed the construction of its second cell in 2021, primarily serves the general Georgetown community, accommodating both residential and non-residential non-hazardous waste. The landfill’s ongoing upgrades, along with the planned addition of two more cells, are estimated to ensure capacity for the next decade, Exxon’s EIA stated.
Any subsequent expansion decisions rest with the Guyana government, with active participation from the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, the EPA, and other key stakeholders.
