Activist:
EMA, NEC hiding documents
By Anna-Lisa Paul
Trinidad
Express
Port
Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
04 29 07
Anti-smelter
activist Dr Wayne Kublalsingh has accused the
Environmental Management Authority
(EMA) of colluding with the National Energy Corporation
(NEC) to "keep valuable documents secret" from
members of the public.
He made the claim yesterday, as he continued his
40-day fast and vigil outside the EMA's office
on Elizabeth Street in St Clair, Port of Spain.
Kublalsingh said subsequent to receiving a letter
last Friday from EMA CEO Dr Dave McIntosh, there
had been no further communication from the authority
on the matter of the Alutrint smelter.
He
had previously requested copies of certain documents
from the EMA pertaining to the proposed
smelter at La Brea, and after several failed attempts
to meet with McIntosh to discuss the issue, opted
to "sit in" at the EMA's office in an
attempt to demonstrate his displeasure with the
situation.
Dissatisfied with the reply he received from McIntosh,
Kublalsingh later decided to set up camp outside
the EMA's office.
The copies of documents requested by Kublalsingh
include the letter of intent by Alutrint on how
they will be disposing of spent pot-liner, a Cost
Benefit Analysis and the Environmental and Ecological
Risk Assessment-all of which have been denied by
the EMA.
An EMA official later explained that the letter
of intent had a confidentiality clause attached
to it, but that the authorities were currently
engaged in the 28-day process to determine if it
should be kept confidential or placed on the public
register.
Regarding the request for copies of the remaining
documents, Kublalsingh said McIntosh had indicated
that the EMA's rules did not require them to make
it public.
Officials from Alutrint have promised to respond
to the matter by today.
alpaul@trinidadexpress.com
Trinidad
Express
Wednesday, April 25th 2007
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