Pandemic Pains- Managing Biomedical Waste

With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries have grappled with increased pressures on national resources, of which waste management systems have been on the forefront. Indeed, the very nature of the pandemic has led to increased generation of biomedical waste, particularly plastic, utilised as protective gear. In light of this, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) extended technical assistance to the country to integrate the environment into its response and recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. The Ministry of Planning and Development, through the EPPD was able to successfully mobilise financial resources from UNEP towards a four month project aimed at strengthening the national capacity to address deficits within the national biomedical waste management system; to not only assist with immediate medical related emergencies but also future contingency planning.

On July 22, 2021 a virtual Inception Meeting was held to officially launch the project. The twenty-three (23) attendees represented UNEP, the BCRC-Caribbean, the Ministry of Planning and Development and other key national organisations which comprise the Project Working Committee. Dr David Persaud, Environmental Manager, EPPD, delivered the opening remarks, while Ms. Keima Gardiner presented an overview of the project since its initiation to participants, and Ms. Tushara Maharaj provided the closing remarks for the session.

Implementation has since commenced for the three project components: Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) Surveys on biomedical waste management for households, health institutions and waste contractors; an Assessment of the Current status of the biomedical waste management; and a Sensitization and Capacity Building Programme on biomedical waste management. The KAP surveys were launched in September 2021, with the household survey being disseminated at a national scale for a ten (10) day period.

It is envisioned that by improving the capacity of the country to alleviate the pressures within the biomedical waste management sector and increasing public awareness and knowledge transfer, this will work towards the minimisation of the risks posed to health care workers, waste handlers, the national community, and the environment from improper handling and disposal of biomedical waste.

More than Trash Talk!-Guanapo Outreach Workshops

The Guanapo Landfill, located on the outskirts of Arima, is a non-engineered site. As a mechanism to control the existing risks and manage potential negative impacts to public health, ecosystems and the environment, particularly the groundwater and the surrounding Maturita River and El Cedro Stream, an Environmental Risk Management Programme (ERMP) is being implemented. Site investigations over two opposing seasons were conducted to better understand the impacts and inform recommendations to improve the site conditions. In order to mitigate potential risks to human health and minimise impacts to the environment it is imperative that the results of the studies are communicated with the potentially affected receptors; the residents and those with vested interests around the Guanapo Landfill. Thus, a Risk Communication Plan formed an integral part of the ERMP.

On Saturday 4 September, 2021 two virtual workshops were held; in the morning period for farmers with fields and/or farms in the direct vicinity of the Landfill, and the nearby watercourses, or those using the surface water e.g. for irrigation; and in the afternoon for residents living approximately 100 metres from the Landfill and 50 metres from the Matura River or El Cedro Stream.

The Workshops were hosted by the Dutch-based consultants, TAUW. Ms. Keima Gardiner, Waste Management Specialist, delivered remarks on behalf of the Ministry and in her capacity as Chair of the national Project Working Committee for the project.

To bolster the sustainability of the community outreach, the consultants developed a lively platform on Microsoft Sway for sharing project updates. A handy commemorative planner was another communications tool developed and distributed to residents and farmers, with useful tips on minimising risks inserted for each month. The younger stakeholders received a local children’s novel on waste management as a token.

Fighting POPs through Fire Fighting Foams

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are a group of toxic, man-made chemicals, and as part of a regional GEF-funded POPs project, in 2016 inventories were conducted to determine the status of these POPs chemicals in the country. One group of these POPs is perfluorinated alkylated substances (PFAS). PFAS is a group of man-made chemicals which degrade very slowly, and have the ability to repel oil, grease and water. This has led to its widespread use in several applications, including in firefighting foams.

Coming out of the inventory on firefighting foams, it was noted that one of the sub-groups of PFAS, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), may not be present, however, there are other related substances such as perfluorooctanoic acids (PFOA) that may still present a challenge. In light of this, and given the recommendation within the PFOS inventory report that a more detailed inventory of firefighting foams should be conducted, the national Project Working Committee (PWC) under the project developed a pilot proposal on PFOS/PFAS, specifically for the Tobago arm of the Fire Services, given the limited financial resources.

The objective of the pilot project is to reduce the human health and environmental impacts of PFOS/PFAS firefighting foams used in Tobago Fire Stations, by catalyzing a sustainable transition towards use of safer PFOS/PFAS-free alternatives. There are three (3) main project components:

1. Identification and analysis of firefighting foams
2. Assessment of barriers and opportunities for use of PFOS/PFAS free alternatives
3. Information and Awareness Communications Campaign

The Kick-Off Meeting for the project was held on August 27, 2021 with the Chair of the PWC, Ms. Keima Gardiner, Ministry of Planning and Development; key members of the PWC, namely the EMA and the THA’s representative; the BCRC Caribbean; and the Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service representative for the Tobago Fire stations. The project is anticipated to be completed in December 2021.