Government plans no major work this year on turning the Marsh Folly dump into a public park — despite Budget boasts that efforts will continue.

On Friday Finance Minister Paula Cox said Government "will continue the work on the old Marsh Folly landfill site to convert it into green space, a nature reserve and recreational use."

However, a Government spokesman said yesterday that: "Substantive works with respect to the Marsh Folly site rehabilitation are not expected during fiscal 2008/09."Further delay on a project first approved by Cabinet in 1989 has angered environmentalists and Opposition politicians alike. Shadow Works and Engineering spokeswoman Patricia Gordon-Pamplin said:"The Budget statement indicated that the Ministry will continue the work on the Old Marsh Folly landfill site to convert it into green space, a nature reserve and recreational use. "If there is no intent to do anything substantive this year, I just question why this was included in the Budget statement."National Trust Director of Preservation Dorcas Roberts said it was time Government bit the bullet and got cracking on a project first promised more than two decades ago. She said the Trust appreciated the significant expense of implementing new satellite composting facilities and restoring the 40 acres of Pembroke Marsh to a park."But we are very certain that economically to do so will be extremely beneficial and will pay-off in the long-term. "For over 20 years the Bermuda has been ardently waiting for the land to be made into a public park. Undoubtedly it would provide a large advantage of Bermuda as a whole and immediately benefit the surrounding residents."Mrs. Roberts said of all the nine parishes, Pembroke has the least amount of open space at only five percent of the Island's total. She added: "Restoring the land to incorporate open space and community amenities will benefit local residents with improved air quality, flood prevention, enhanced property values and additional leisure areas for breathing space overall it will give an enhanced quality of life. "We hope that serious attention and more importantly action is given to affording this park to Pembroke as we feel that in 2008 the need is greater than ever."Government said yesterday the Pembroke Marsh Development Plan was a long-standing capital project being implemented on a phased basis. The plan includes improvements around the site, green space creation on the old landfill and around the marsh as well as habitat improvements of the marsh. Completed projects include Pembroke Playground, Parson's Road Basketball Court and the levelling of Glebe Field.A spokesman said Government had still to find an alternative site to replace the Marsh Folly site as a venue to process horticultural waste and other organic materials. "This was taken into consideration in the Island's Sustainable Development Plan where it is suggested that an 'in-vessel' type of composting system could replace the current operation."The currently employed 'open windrow' composting method involves spreading out the material in long piles called windrows and turning over the piles as required in order to maintain aerobic conditions within the material."This method requires a considerable amount of time and space. In contrast, if the composting process is performed inside a vessel where temperature, moisture and mixing can be optimised, the process can be completed in a fraction of the time and on a much smaller foot print of land. Investigations are underway with respect to determining the best composting technology for Bermuda."It is now a matter of technology selection and locating and approving an appropriate site for the facility."However Government was discussing buying "in-vessel" technology four years ago. In an interview with Bottom Line magazine in early 2004 Government Solid Waste Manager Allan Hunt, who has since retired, explained the current composting process takes about three months but a new process would knock two thirds off that time. Mrs. Gordon-Pamplin said: "If 2004 was the time at which the new technology was being considered, one would have thought that in four years, a decision would have been taken concerning 'in-vessel' composting."She conceded there was a long-term challenge with respect to gases that are trapped under the mound of horticulture and the resulting combustibility for the existing site must be dealt with. But she added: "It is a fact, though that the residents of Marsh Folly, Parsons Road and Glebe Road have had more than their share of inconvenience, so it is disappointing that major progress is not contemplated in the current year." Environmentalist Stuart Hayward said: "It is difficult to reconcile Government's stated concern for the working class when golf course refurbishment gets millions of dollars while a health hazard and potentially poisonous environment at Pembroke Marsh gets mostly lip service. Even the field levelled on Glebe Road is being abused by unlicensed racing motorbikes, and the playground's trash barrels sometimes look more like fountains of litter rather than receptacles."4 Government's insurers have settled 49 separate claims following the fire at Pembroke Marsh last year which erupted when compost piles grew too high and caught alight in a fire that lasted a week and scattered ash all over the neighbourhood and beyond. Those claims, relating principally to smoke damage to homes, amounted to $152,573 said a Government spokesman.