Questions remain unanswered about why waste was allowed to build up at the Tynes Bay Waste Treatment facility.

Since the news broke last Friday that the fire at the Tynes Bay Waste Treatment Facility had been fuelled by waste that had been allowed to build up over 15 months, has been unable to get Works & Engineering Minister Ashfield DeVent to comment.

"Works and Engineering still don't have the report from the Fire Department, regarding the fire at the Tynes Bay Waste Treatment Facility on Christmas Day," Works & Engineering Permanent Secretary Russell Wade said on Monday.

"The Fire Department are continuing talks with Police," he said, referring to the news that the fire investigator's file on the fire would be turned over to Police as the incident warrants a criminal investigation.

Mr. Wade would not comment on whether any talks between the Fire Department and Tynes Bay Waste Treatment Officials had taken place, as Fire Lt. Dana Lovell said there had last Friday.

And he would not say why the "waste-stream" ? similar to a large conveyer belt of sorted trash ? had been unable to burn the waste material since Hurricane Fabian in 2003, as Lt. Lovell said last week.

Lt. Lovell said fire investigators had determined the fire was likely to have been set on purpose by arsonists.

Yesterday, a spokeswoman from W & E said the Ministry was "still awaiting a copy of the report from the Fire Department".

"I don't think the Minister will have anything else to add other than what I told you," she said.