Cook’s Landfill ‘Very Close to Capacity’ as Cabinet Considers New Sewage, Waste Oil Plants

Antigua and Barbuda’s only official dump site is under significant strain, with Cabinet acknowledging that the Cook’s Landfill is nearing the limits of its capacity and considering major upgrades, including a new sewage plant and waste oil facility.

Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant said during Friday’s post-Cabinet briefing that daily intake at the landfill is substantial.

“Daily waste at the Cook’s Landfill includes some six tons of solid waste, some 30,000 gallons of sewage, and some 1,500 tires,” Merchant said.

He noted that recent rainfall overwhelmed sewage ponds at the site, resulting in leachate overflowing into nearby mangroves and Five Islands Harbour.

“Two inches of rain is a lot of rain, and hence the leachate overflowed into the environs there, which created the problem,” he said.

Merchant acknowledged that the landfill is approaching its limits.

“It must be noted that the Cook’s Landfill is the only official dump site for waste in Antigua and Barbuda,” he said. “From the daily intake of items of waste and sewage and other items, you would note that it is very close to its capacity.”

He confirmed that Cabinet is actively exploring infrastructure improvements, including additional containment systems and treatment facilities.

“The manager would have made several recommendations there for improvement, with dams — new dams — to be constructed for the disposal of waste,” Merchant said. “New sewage plant in that area, waste oil plant — those are two areas that Cabinet is actively looking at.”

To prevent future incidents, authorities are strengthening monitoring systems.

“They will carry out further examination, further testing and inspection of the leachate collection and treatment system to identify potential failure points and the deployment of real-time sensors for continuous monitoring,” he said.

Merchant added that environmental protection remains a priority for the administration.

“The government is very big on this issue,” he said, referring to environmental safeguards and sustainability initiatives.

Cabinet has already approved the acquisition of additional heavy equipment, including bulldozers, excavators and compactors, to improve landfill management.

The government has also issued advisories prohibiting the consumption of fish or seafood from affected areas while testing continues.

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