Minister of Housing Asks Buffer Zone Residents to Voluntarily Apply for Houses

The Junior Minister of Housing, Ms. Tina Gronlund-Nunez, held a meeting yesterday together with MP Fitzgerald Jeffery in La Brea and told residents of the Alutrint “buffer zone” that because of the court decision she cannot discuss relocation but that she wanted all residents to know that the HDC has houses available and that they can “voluntarily” apply to the HDC to get houses that are available. This came on the heels of telling residents that they had lost their chance of getting a house because of the people who are opposing the construction of the smelter complex.

One of the major requirements for the progress of the Alutrint Smelter is the relocation of all residents living within 100 m of the plant site known as the “buffer zone”. The now quashed CEC that was granted to the EMA required that all negotiations and acquisitions of property be settled before ANY works commenced on the site. This did not happen before Alutrint started pile testing and other works on the site, a matter that has been repeatedly emphasized in local protests.

The EMA acting together with Alutrint has recently appealed the court case and has asked for the appeal to be heard as soon as possible. The Government clearly intends to build the smelter and if this intention remains then its necessity to relocate residents must also remain, as the smelter cannot be operated without the relocation requirements being met. Thus is it puzzling that the Minister of Housing would visit the community and make buffer zone residents feel that they have now lost out on relocation.

The La Brea Concerned Citizens United had expressed in a press release to the media since early June that citizens protests were not only against the smelter for health concerns but also for the fair relocation and compensation of buffer zone residents, many of whom have been severely affected for some time by all the works Union Industrial Estate. The Minister appeared to be attempting to divide the community by making buffer zone residents feel that they are being disadvantaged through the rejection of the smelter by residents of the “beltline”, who live within 2km of the smelter and have to be tested for cancer and other diseases.

The La Brea Concerned Citizens coordinating group did not officially attend the meeting, which was attended by some 16 residents of the area. We had requested an invitation and agenda in writing. However, the MP said he was unable to provide a written agenda or a written invitation. We find this practice nontransparent. Thus the current representatives on the coordinating group decided not to engage in such a forum. We are, however disappointed that the meeting turned out to be an attempt by Mr. Fitzgerald to herd the community further towards accepting the smelter rather than using the opportunity listen to residents' concerns about the smelter.

When Mr. Elijah Gour, in his capacity as President of the Union Village Council, raised the facts on the health effects of modern smelters as stated in Alutrint’s own Medical Monitoring Plan he was cut off and the meeting was brought to a close. The MP for the area circulated a document at the meeting, which among other things, quotes from the Prime Minister’s speeches to assure residents that there were no health risks to the smelter. It does not address the factual material contained in the Medical Monitoring Plan prepared for Alutrint by the Caribbean Health Research Council and International Institute for Healthcare and Human Development.

We are in agreement with the Govermnment’s objective of development, however, we will like to take it one step further; SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. Employment, educational enhancement and economic growth are all desirous but NOT at the expense of our health, our community, our environment, our natural resources and most importantly, our children's future.