One day after the governments of T&T and China signed an agreement to complete the financing of the Alutrint Aluminium Smelter Complex at La Brea, environmentalist Dr Wayne Kublalsingh has said that those opposed to the plant would take court action if necessary to stop its construction. The framework agreement for the provision of US$112 million, representing the balance of a concessional loan from China to T&T for the construction of the smelter plant, was signed on Tuesday.
Some US$300 million has already been provided under a buyer’s credit memorandum. Energy Minister, Conrad Enil; Foreign Affairs Minister, Paula Gopee-Scoon and Chinese ambassador Huang Xing signed the documents at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad hotel. Construction of the first phase of the plant on the Union Industrial Estate, La Brea, is due to begin in June, with 2011 set for its completion.
But Kublalsingh, who has stoutly opposed its construction from the start, said there was a pending judicial review action against Alutrint before High Court judge Mira Dean-Armorer, and as such no substantial work can be done. The action was filed by three parties challenging the process used by the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) to grant Alutrint a Certificate of Environmental Clearance (CEC). “Judgement has not been granted and if any substantial portion of work is done we will apply for an injunction to stop construction,” said Kublalsingh, who fasted for 40 days outside the EMA.
In an interview yesterday, he vowed that if the matter is determined in favour of Alutrint, “we are prepared to go straight to the Privy Council.” In addition to the pending court matter, Kublalsingh said there are other pressing concerns with the proposed smelter plant. “The smelter is an economic bust. What is happening is that the plant is consuming a vast amount of ecological, economic and social resources and the returns are going to be minimal.” He said that was why the Venezuelan aluminium firm, Sural, pulled out as the majority partner in the joint venture with state-owned National Energy Corporation (NEC).
He said there are a lot of associated costs which are being hidden, citing the cost of port and power facilities, the cost to relocate three communities and disposal of the spent pot lining from the smelting process. He also cited the cost of the loan “which incidentally has been granted by the Chinese for the construction of the plant which the Chinese are building and, to whom money paid back will go. “Alutrint has not been able to show any cost benefit analysis on how this particular project is going to make a profit. I challenge those who say there is profit to be gained.”
Kublalsingh said the anti-smelter group will meet tomorrow in La Brea to draft letters to Professor Ken Julien, Enill and Alutrint’s acting chief executive officer, Phillip Julien, asking them to justify the cost of the project and the benefits to be derived. A spokesman for Alutrint said that site preparation work has been going on for the last month and a half. The spokesman said dynamic compaction is now being done on the site and the company hoped to begin construction on schedule next month. (Text taken from Guardian Newspaper, 7th May, 2009, Under caption "Environmentalists plan to put brakes on smelter").
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