EMA
blanks Chatham smelter
The Trinidad
Guardian
Port Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
04 15 07
The Environmental Management Authority (EMA)
has rejected the National Energy Corporation’s
(NEC) application to develop an industrial
estate at Chatham.
In a statement, the EMA said the NEC application
was refused last Thursday although the decision
was only released yesterday evening.
Alcoa planned to house an aluminium smelter on
the estate producing 341,000 tonnes of aluminium
yearly.
The
EMA cited several inconsistencies regarding the
size of the project area and also the lack
of details given by the NEC on the estate’s
effect on the aquifer.
The aquifer is directly related to water distribution
in the area.
“No assessment was provided on the impact
of the project on the recharge to the aquifer that
serves as an important source of potable water
for residents of the south-western peninsula,” the
statement said.
“No
credible information was provided regarding the
impacts on the recharge zone of the underlying
aquifer.”
The EMA also took issue with limited details given
on the impact of coastal erosion, a proposed port,
plus the boundaries of the estate.
The
statement referred specifically to the environmental
impact assessment (EIA) submitted in May 2006 by
the NEC and a subsequent “addendum” report
EIA filed in December 2006.
“Contradictory statements existed throughout
the EIA and the Addendum Report, specifically with
respect to the size of the project area,” the
statement said.
“The
addendum report spoke to the development of 553.77
hectares while the application for the
proposed project was for 810 hectares.”
The NEC first applied for the CEC in February,
2004.
Apart from an aluminium smelter, the estate was
to be established for local gas-based industries.
Trinidad
Guardian
Thursday 12th April, 2007
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©2007 Trinidad Guardian. All Rights Reserved.
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