Rat woes can be cured at Fogo dump: Denine

The Newfoundland and Labrador government would like to help Fogo Island dig out of a rat-infested garbage crisis, but a regional council has to make the key decisions, a minister says.

Residents of Stag Harbour have been preventing trucks from other communities on Fogo Island from dumping waste at the regional landfill because of thousands of rats that are running free in the area.

Municipal and Provincial Affairs Minister Dave Denine said his department is willing to pay for an exterminator to wipe out the rat population at the island's dump.

The regional council cancelled a plan to burn the garbage because of costs.

Denine said the province is willing to advance funds from next year's municipal operating grants to pay to burn the garbage, and assist with other scenarios.

"One of the options was to take their waste management off the island, and if they do, we will decommission that landfill," Denine said.

"We will also give them a truck to truck the garbage off the island. From what I understand, Gander is willing take it. It may cost a little bit more, but there will be no more garbage [dumped] on the island itself."

However, Denine said in that scenario, it would be up to the local governments to pay for operating costs.

Denine estimated that an exterminator would cost as much as $6,000, although he added he is not sure whether such a move would be completely effective.

Denine said if towns took advances on municipal operating grants, they would probably have to increase taxes next year to compensate.

Gerald McKenna, who chairs the regional council on Fogo Island, said the communities are in a bind, and cannot even afford to pay their share of burning garbage to control rodents as a short-term measure.

"There is no extra money," McKenna said.

"You do up your budget in the fall of the year, based on what your projections are for the year. This is a new one that's being dumped on the councils."