DELAYING NEW RIVER CLEAN-UP WILL BE MORE COSTLY

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By Rudolph Williams
I recall in the mid-1960’s, sneaking away from my parents to go dipping in the New River near the ferry in Orange Walk Town. I cannot recall contracting any ailments from those dips; however the District Public Health Inspector, my Dad, recalls doing inspections of the river for foul odours. In a newspaper article, Wellington C. Ramos reported that in 1974 he tried to save a child drowning in the New River and subsequently developed serious skin irritation. At that time, the population of Orange Walk District was a little greater than 10,000. The Tower Hill Factory was rebuilt in 1965 and expanded operations began in 1967.
In the early 1990s, the Hydrology Unit, along with members of the newly established Department of the Environment, conducted investigations on the New River to document reports and identify the cause of fish kills and foul odours. You may discern that pollution and fish kills in the New River is not a new phenomenon and we were all aware of its occurrences. This has been with us since the mid-1960s; however when the rains come and floods the river, the foul odours go away. Problem solved!
Let’s look at some media reports to see if the rain is the solution:
On July 23, 1999 Channel 5 reported that “Cause of New River fish kill discovered” to be organic matter from the lumber mill.
June 5, 2003 Channel 5’s Jacqueline Woods, reported “…Residents living along the river have raised concerns over water quality following reports of dead fish and a strong odour emanating from the water… According to Chief Environmental Officer, Ismael Fabro, they strongly suspect man is to blame…”
Carlos Fuller “… Certainly we felt the New River was always going to remain clean. But years of the sugar industry being on the New River has practically killed it.”
October 2, 2004 Channel 7’s Alfonso Noble Reporting “…protection measures must be put in place to ensure that the water sources are used properly, especially after at least one bad experience which the country has had with the New River in Orange Walk.”
June 7, 2007, Channel 7 reported on a Worrying Fish Kill in Orange Walk “… a recent fish kill in the Orange Walk District does raise worries about the health of our waterways. These kills were spotted yesterday on the New River between the Tower Hill toll bridge and Orange Walk Town. Chief Environmental Officer … says they have received two reports of fish kills … this one near Orange Walk, and another near Lamanai.”
April 17, 2013 Channel 5 reported, Dead fish float near Orange Walk Toll Bridge “The Department of the Environment is investigating reports of a fish kill in the New River near the toll bridge. There are reports of fish kills in the same area at least once every year…”
April 17, 2013 Channel 7, DOE: No Answers Yet in OW Fish Kill “One week ago, hundreds of dead fish started showing up dead along the banks of the New River in Orange Walk all the way from the BSI factory to the Tower Hill Toll Bridge.
July 15, 2016 Channel 7, DOE Tells ASR/BSI to Quit Dumping Spoilt Molasses in Ponds Jules Vasquez reports
Colin Young, CEO, Min. /fisheries, forestry, Environment, Sustainable Dev. “…if the volume of molasses were to get into the river, it would in fact cause a substantial negative impact on the river. Fish kills…”
Channel 5, May 15, 2018 Tests to Determine What’s Killing Fish in O.W., Ambergris “… apparent pollution of the New River in the area of Orange Walk Town as well as villages to the north and east, including San Estevan, Trial Farm, and San Jose. Toxic chemical waste from ponds overlooking the river are leaching into it, causing the deaths of hundreds of river fish and plant life and driving away other forms of wildlife. But who is causing it? … Dr. Percival Cho told News Five …tree leaves and bark in the case of Orange Walk, has led to a reduction in oxygen levels that is killing the fish off…”
The Reporter Friday, 23 August 2019, “…the New River shows no sign of improvement. Our reporter was told by sources that even crocodiles have died, and one manatee near the Tower Hill Bridge. From the bridge, observers can see the river covered with filthy scum, and massive fish kills continue to be reported.”
Realizing that there was no hydrological data for the New River watershed, the Hydrology Unit installed a river gauge at the Tower Hill Bridge in 1993 and at Caledonia Village in 1997.
This New River pollution has been with us for 55 years, if you use my swimming bouts, and 27 years if we reference the Department of Environment’s involvement. The pollution events are becoming more frequent and more impactful. We need to move from monitoring and reporting to taking stringent actions to reverse the pollution of this waterway.
BSI was identified as one of the culprits, but from the media reports other culprits are responsible. Pollution from agricultural and industrial operations was identified upstream near Lamanai, and Shipyard. Recently wastewater from the now 42,000+ Orange Walk Town citizens and industrial operations were also identified as a source of pollution. All stakeholders need to implement tangible measures to restore the New River.
Further delaying restorative measures can be very costly. As an example, in the early 1800s urbanization, trade and industry severely polluted the Singapore river. A colonial commission set up in 1950s estimated the cost to clean the river at about S$30 million, but there was no progress due complexity and financial issues. In 1969, a river clean-up order was issued. There was little to no progress. In 1977, Prime Minister Lee set a 10-year river clean up target and promised to give each officer involved a solid gold medal if they were successful. He also vowed to deal with who or what was responsible for the failure of the clean-up operation. The clean-up was completed in 1987 at a cost of US$300 million.
The Water Laws mandate that the New River be declared a “Water Quality Control Area” and a clean-up mechanism be implemented.
We need to act now, delaying the clean-up will be more environmentally and financially costly.