NSWMA Announces Landfill Operation Has Returned To Normal Following Weekend Blaze

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NSWMA announces landfill operation has returned to normal following weekend blaze

The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) has announced that conditions at the Cook’s Landfill have returned to normalcy, following a major fire outbreak over the weekend.

As teams from the Fire Department, NSWMA, Public Works Department, and the National Office of Disaster Services (NODS) worked through Friday night and into Saturday morning to contain the blaze, officials are now assessing the cause of the incident which remains a mystery

The Authority, meanwhile, thanked the public for their patience and support and asked members to be more mindful of putting flammable materials, such as batteries and explosive solutions with regular household garbage.

The Cook’s Landfill has become a source of public attention in recent days, as officials say leachate—formed when water passed through waste material at a landfill, drawing out chemicals from those wastes—overflow into the landfill’s mangrove area.

This story was first published by Antigua News on : antigua.news/2026/03/02/nswma-announces-landfill-operation-has-returned-to-normal-following-weekend-blaze. © 2026 Antigua News. Republication without permission is not allowed.

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Comments (10)

  • Liannah March 2, 2026, 2:03 PM

    I dont think the operations every stopped. That landfill always have issues. My thing is that its too close to people’s homes
    Reply
  • Ash March 2, 2026, 2:24 PM

    Good to know that things are back to normal
    Reply
  • Rhea March 2, 2026, 2:58 PM

    The leachate overflow is deeply concerning. Mangroves are natural protectors of our coastline. If we damage them, we’re damaging ourselves. Waste management has to become a national priority, not just something we address after a crisis.
    Reply
  • Hadassah March 2, 2026, 2:59 PM

    This is bigger than just a fire. It’s about how we manage waste in a growing country. Population increases, consumption increases, so infrastructure must improve. We deserve safer, more modern facilities.
    Reply
  • Concerned Antiguan March 2, 2026, 3:47 PM

    Yah, My thing is that we dont see landfills in boujie places.
    Reply
  • Ryan Wedding March 2, 2026, 5:41 PM

    Why is no one telling us about the reason for this massive fire
    Reply
  • Apex Jones March 2, 2026, 5:53 PM

    Operations there will never be normal. Something really needs to be done about the situation at the field. Post haste
    Reply
  • Informed citizen March 2, 2026, 11:23 PM

    Well that must’ve been a tense weekend for everybody living anywhere near there. Anytime you hear “landfill blaze,” you already know that smoke and smell alone does cause serious stress. Glad to hear operations back to normal, but fires at dumps always raise bigger concerns.
    Reply
  • Island Girl March 3, 2026, 5:50 AM

    good luck. until another fore..management of the landfill is the issue. the real issue
    Reply
  • Flute March 3, 2026, 8:35 AM

    I wonder if they ever felt like moving the landfill to somewhere else
    Reply

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