No Community Voices of Dissent allowed at CHOGM

During CHOGM the People's Space at the Savannah was largely empty. On the three occasions that I visited there seemed to be more entertainers that visitors.

The La Brea Concerned Citizens United were encouraged by Steve Theodore to participate in the People's Space. Initially they were to present a 'skit' on 23rd November. This was shifted back to the 29th (note that the NGO, Business and Youth Fora took place from 23rd to 26th November).

When LBCCU showed up on the 29th the police denied them entrance to the People's Space. According to Elijah Gour, President of Union Village Council "the police told us we were protesters and we were not allowed to enter the People's Space with any anti-government sentiment".

According to the Newsday (November 30th) 'At the time of the minor dispute at the entrance, spouses of the several foreign dignitaries here for CHOGM were enjoying a cultural presentation inside. The contingent, led by Minister of Local Government Hazel Manning, arrived at the show over three hours after the scheduled time. Hazel Browne, Head of the Network of Non-Governmental Organizations and a member of the Organizing Committee that it was a "case of a mix-up". She assured that "the organizers did not take the position that the team from La Brea were protesters". She explained that the police "made that judgement call on their own" According to Browne "I think they were turned away for security reasons". Brown "accepted responsibility for the mis-communication".

What the people of Trinidad and Tobago need to understand from this lesson is that dissent is not tolerated by Manning's Regime. Orders were given to prevent anti-smelter expressions even at the "People's Space". This should come as no surprise. The Minister of Energy, Conrad Enil, said that he is under "no obligation" to justify the economics of the smelter to NGOs". he said "so what" when the press said that a group of NGOs led by Kublalsingh had been seeking cost-benefit information on Alutrint for over 4 years.

When foreigners are here T&T must present a facade of a thriving democracy galloping towards developed nation status using oil and gas assets. This is a shame! There is no democracy here. There is no justice. There will not be peace!

22nd November, 2009, People's Democracy Rally Woodford Square, POS

Various groups highlighted some of the major problems that affect us today:

• Crime and violence
• The Property Tax - No Taxation without Representation
• Continuing high food prices and the neglect by the Government of food production by our farmers and fisherfolk
• The lack of regard for transparency and accountability as evidenced by the scandals surrounding the Integrity Commission and the Uff Enquiry into UDeCOTT.
• The mis-use of our patrimony to pursue mega projects rather than address the basic needs of citizens (health care, education etc) and communities (flooding, water etc)
• Disregard for the dignity of labour and the attacks on the institutions of labour and of the co-operative sector
• The lack of concern for the well being and welfare of the elderly (decent pensions etc)
• An attempt to further entrench a concentration of power in the hands of the Executive as evidenced by the proposals for reform of the Constitution and Local Government.

The La Brea Concerned Citizens United (LBCCU) was represented by Anslem Carter. He spoke about the suffering of Square Deal residents for the last five years exposed to dust and noise coming from Union Industrial Estate. He said that they had been betrayed by the State since it was only after Alutrint got permission from the EMA to build their smelter, did the information that some 4000 residents living within 2km had to be routinely tested for cancer. The Rights Action Group also spoke at this Rally.

The Issues and Demands presented by the People's Democracy include the following: (i) "The government, as a first step, immediately stop the buildingof an aluminium smelter in La Brea and stop the building of a steel mill and port in Claxton Bay, (ii) Immediately take steps to develop a cluster of industries centered around renewable energy technologies; and to mobilize the national community to find ways to develop industries which generate safe and clean jobs; projects which create wealth, not death and destruction. And that these plans should be developed through a participatory process".

View from the floor at 'Sit Down' at Ministry of Energy: Groups Call again for Alutrint Cost-Benefit Information

On Thursday 19th November, Wayne Kublalsingh led a 'sit down protest' at the entrance to the Ministry of Energy & Energy Resources seeking cost-benefit information on the viability of Alutrint, the State proposed aluminium smelter. He was joined by Environmental Engineer, Cathal Healy-Singh and Square Deal Residents Abigail Modeste and Leon Modeste.

Just before being removed by police, the Minister of Energy, Conrad Enil, who was attending a Cabinet Meeting, agreed to meet us. We met 20 minutes later in his plush board room on the 17th floor of one of the brand new 'Waterfront Towers' which houses the Ministry.
Accompanying the Minister were his Communications Officer, and legal and infrastructural advisers. After shaking hands all round and sitting down, Wayne asked for the cost information. The Minister said he "did not have it and could not give it". Wayne stood up and left immediately.

Leon and Abigail stayed on to tell the story of the remaining Square Deal residents (45 households) - left to suffer in the buffer zone of Union Industrial Estate, from relentless dust, noise and 24 hour lighting due to the construction activities of TGU, the 760 MW power plant to service Alutrint.

Cathal reminded the Minister that 'sustainable development' was a necessary balance between social, ecological and economic trade-offs. The assessment of the social and ecological impacts had been "quashed" by the High Court when it ruled that the decision by the Environmental Management Authority to award environmental clearance to Alutrint was "outrageous...irrational...procedurally irregular" (June 16th, 2009). If there was no economic information at all then one could only conclude that the proposed smelter was unsustainable.

Further, Cathal pointed out that the perception in the country is that the State is seeking to strip itself of social and ecological responsibilities - as evidenced by the deregulation of the quarrying sector - which was destroying the ecology and drinking water resources of the Northern Range.

After about an hour of cordial discussion Cathal, Abigail and Leon left. The Minister promised to convene a meeting of all stakeholders to address relocation of remaining Square Deal Residents.

When we went back downstairs we were ushered out of the building right away. Wayne had resumed his seated position on the floor. By about 6pm he was lifted out of the building.

Outside entrance to Union Industrial Estate

Alutrint put up scores of banners throughout La Brea 'thanking La Brea for "welcoming" Alutrint into their community.

In the second picture Alutrint's Family Day banner invites the public to "Hear what is really going on in La Brea from Real La Brea residents".

Anti-smelter communities of Sobo, Vessigny, Vance River and Union Villages responded with "Cancer Zone". Some 4,100 persons live in these Villages which are within 2km of Union Industrial Estate. Residents of these Villages formed La Brea Concerned Citizens United. They are the ones targeted for for cancer testing

Union 'No Smelter' Team competing at Alutrint's Family Day on 26th September, 2009.

Six Teams registered to play. Three teams wore 'No Smelter' T-Shirts. These were teams from Union, Square Deal and Sobo Villages. Alutrint Officials made them turn their T-Shirts in-side out to hide 'no smelter'. Officials then made the anti-smelter Village Teams play against each other. Union made it to the semi -finals but got "tief out" by being forced into a 'sudden death' penalty kick out against a team they had already beaten, according to players. Alutrint's cameras stayed away. This is one of the few shots taken of the small goal fracas which took place on the 'Family Day'

The Gas Stripping Slows...how empty the tank?

Camille Bethel of the Express Newspaper reported on 12th October that 'Trinidad and Tobago does not have enough gas to build a fifth Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Train, although the country has not suffered a drop in the production of LNG.'

It was during the World Gas Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina last week that T&T energy technocrats leaked to the international media that Train 5 was off. Director of Policy in the Ministry of Energy, David Small did the honours when he told Reuters News Agency "As of now, the gas is not all there for an expansion. It is not automatic that there will be a fifth train". (Recall that last November, Minister in Ministry of Finance Mariano Browne was telling the Express Newspaper that a fifth Train was "still in the cards").

Ms. Bethel reported that 'The latest Ryder Scott gas audit done by the Houston-based firm earlier this year showed that proven gas reserves, at 15.37 trillion cubic feet (tcf), reached an all-time low last year.'

Mr. Samarendra Das Invited to Trinidad by CBOs and NGOs (24th September to 4th October, 2009)

Mr Samarendra Das is an Indian national, global activist and research scholar based in London and Orissa. He has been involved for the last sixteen years in grassroots activism with the ‘Dongria Kondh’ and ‘Majhi Kondh’, tribal communities who have lived sustainable and self-sufficient lives for centuries in the mountains of Orissa.

Kondh values and their mountains are at risk from multinational companies seeking to capture iron ore and bauxite for the metal industries. Mr. Das has developed extensive knowledge of transnational corporations, NGOs and the institutional architecture of the global elite who wield power over the earth’s resources.

His academic background includes a ‘first’ first class honours in mathematics and a master of computer science with distinction.

Samarendra has co-produced films with his brother Amarendra, published books, and written over 200 papers in his mother tongue, Oriya. His work is both technical and artistic, covering, culture, identity, conflict and political economy.

His recent film with Amarendra, Sept, 2005, ‘Wira Pdika’ (Earth Worm: Company Man) is a feature-length campaign-documentary on the resistance of the Orissa Kondhs.

His most recent book, co-authored with Dr. Felix Padel, titled ‘Out of This Earth: East India Adivasis and The Aluminium Cartel ’, is to be published later this year by Orient Blackswan.

Samarendra was invited to Trinidad by La Brea Concerned Citizens United, Rights Action Group and Fishermen and Friends of the Sea. He spent several nights in La Brea where he held community workshops and screened his film 'Earth Worm Company Man'. Samarendra appeared on IETV's 'One on One' with Vernon Ramesar, on Power 102.1 Radio - the 'Power Drive' with Anil and Sprang, on 'The Morning Edition' (TV) with Andy Johnson. He also met with a cross-section of interested individuals and groups.

Samarendra also visited Maracas Falls, the pristine mineral rich streams of Ortinola, Acono and the Indian Caribbean Museum in 'Waterloo'.

We are all very grateful to have had Samarendra in Trinidad. We continue to ruminate on the richness of his presence and the valuable information that he shared.

Update on Smelta Wars 18th September, 2009

Local Newspapers reported that on September 11th, workers on the controversial 760 MW power plant (Trinidad Generation Unlimited) being built on Union Industrial Estate to supply power to the equally controversial Alutrint smelter were locked out by management. The power plant is being built by E Pihl & Sons, (pihl) a Danish company. The job was subcontracted to them by MAN FERROSTAAL (MF), a German Company. MF's majority shareholder is the Government of Abu Dabai.

Locked out workers have pitched two tents outside the entrance to Union Industrial Estate. On the other side of the road is the anti-smelter camp. Earlier in the week, pihl warned workers against illegal industrial action. Workers are demanding better working conditions - including health and safety. According to one worker "within the past two weeks, four people have suffered injuries on the job. The company is saying that what we are doing is illegal, but as long as it is over health and safety issues, we are within our rights to strike,"

There is also concern over National Insurance deductions on their payslips. "We are supposed to be paying $134 a fortnight, but we are paying up to $400 a fortnight,". Workers are also claiming that they are not being paid properly for overtime.

Pihl had warned workers against illegal industrial action, stating that any breach of contract would "result in dismissal". One worker claimed "the project manager said he does not have to listen to our problems". Newspapers reported that pihl's Project Manager, Hansen, could not be reached by the press for comment.

Chinese workers on the adjacent Alutrint smelter were supposed to have downed tools since the June 16th Judgment when the High Court "quashed" Alutrint's Certificate of Environmental Clearance (CEC) issued by the Environmental Management Authority (EMA). Chinese workers have expressed frustration to local anti-smelter protestors camped out side.

Over this last week Alutrint has spent a fortune in 'Public-State' funds on public relations, seeking to convince the national population that their smelter poses no health risks (they remain mum on its economic viability). Harriet May-Phillips, (of 'SENES' a Canadian based consulting firm) and author of the very controversial Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment (HEERA) which formed part of Alutrint's CEC submissions has been on the radio (several stations) every day this week. Alutrint is planning a big fete in La Brea this weekend for the 'community' where rum will flow, noise will make, flags will wave and no doubt many a young man will stumble home in a drunken stupor.

For the record, the EMA hired Jaques Whitford (a consulting firm also from Canada) to perform a supposedly 'independent' review of the HEERA prepared by SENES. Had the EMA bothered to look, they would have found that SENES and JW have a history of close collaboration with each other.

Concerned citizens of Trinidad and Tobago do not accept that JW can with impartiality and neutrality, professionally review the work of of SENES. The internet makes for interesting reading on a paper mill in Canada where these two companies were involved in reviewing each others work.

In any event, the EMA remains at fault for fragmenting and "staggering" the CECs for the smelter, power plant and port facilities. These are essential components of Alutrint's Smelter Complex. An integrated Environmental Impact Assessment should have been carried out for this infrastructure. We the People of Trinidad & Tobago are left with the vexing situation of a 'quashed smelter', a 'striking power plant' and a port still under construction. What a mess! Undeterred however, the 'State' continues to say 'smelta coming'. We are on-the-ground 'playing for change'.

A Release from the other Side (published in T&T Guardian 17th September, 2009)

Alutrint official: "Aluminium smelters no cause of cancer"
by Dixie Ann Dixon

Acting chief executive officer of Alutrint Phillip Julien says it is a myth that aluminium smelters can cause cancer. Julien made the statement at the launch of the brochure entitled the Aluminium Industry in T&T, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Port-of-Spain, yesterday.

“The issue of human health in regards to aluminium smelter all around the world has never been an issue...The greatest myth out there is the issue of cancer,” he said. He added that there had never been any reported cases of incidences of cancer.

Julien noted that the recent report of cancer and other health issues arising from a smelter plant in China was due to lead smelting and not aluminium smelting. He said the whole issue of cancer arose in certain areas of the workplace (aluminium plant) like working very closely with the anode—(part of the process in making the aluminium). Julien said the anodes were made of pitch and the pitch gave off something called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which was a potential cancer-causing agent.

Aluminium ProductsAluminium is a silvery-white, supple lightweight metal with appearances ranging from silvery to dull grey. It is a non-magnetic, non-sparking and is easily recognised by the symbol Al.The chief source of aluminium is bauxite ore which is processed by aluminium refineries into alumina. Some products made from aluminium include cellphones, aircraft, pots, roofs, CDs, power lines, cars, wheels, the lining of milk cartons and foil.

Phillip Julien is CEO of Alutrint.

10th July, 2009, the day Manning came to turn sod at Alutrint's Power Plant on Union Industrial Estate

IMPORTANT EVENT

Symposium

The Economics of Alutrint

St Mary's College

Pembroke St Entrance

Saturday 12th September 2009

9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Chair: Professor Patrick Watson

Contributions: Ms Mary King, Professor Dennis Pantin,

Mr Reg Potter

and others

For all officials in the energy industry, state officials,

students, media, members of the public

LUNCH PROVIDED

Alutrint's self-imagery - an illusion, virtual reality, possible in cyber space

Computer imagery found on Alutrint's non-functioning website is alien to the on-the-ground truth of destruction. The virtual river is supposed to represent what was once Vessigny River (see below aerial photo). After clearing almost 1000 acres of topsoil nothing could be grown. The "Buffer Zone Management Plant" failed because the trees planted by Eden Shand's 'Tropical Re-Leaf Foundation' had nothing to grow in.

Alutrint's 40% Joint Venture Partner is a Paper Company

Renda Butler

Sural (Barbados) Limited was incorporated by Barbados Attorney Stephen A. Lashley on 16th August, 2006 (Company No. 27588) as an "International Business" under the International Business Companies Act, 1991-24".

The address provided for Sural (Barbados) is that of the registering Attorney, "Sherwood", Strathclyde Crescent, St. Michael, Barbados. There are two appointed Directors with the following 'residential' addresses: Alfredo Riviere Villamizar, President Grupo Sural CA of Calle el Lindero, Cerro Verde, Caracas, Venezuela and Renda Butler of Loefling Plaza, Apartment 15B, Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela.

On the day that Alutrint received a Certificate of Environmental Clearance (CEC) from the Environmental Management Authority (2nd April, 2007) Renda Butler was the CEO of Alutrint. [Alutrint's current CEO (acting) is Phillip Julien, son of T&T's "energy czar" Ken Julien].

It was Butler's letter dated 28th March, 2007, to the EMA, which had attempted to address stakeholder concerns over 'cumulative impacts' of the port, power plant and smelter complex. A month earlier, on February 27th 2007, in an interview with Trinidad Express, Butler had claimed "that the company has been in the forefront of raising the bar in environmental and social stewardship for new industrialization".

It was the EMA's acceptance of Butler's "raised bar" and failure to take a "hard look" at the cumulative impacts of the port, power plant and smelter complex on human and environmental health, which led Justice Dean Amorer to rule that their decision to award a CEC to Alutrint was "procedurally irregular, irrational and made without regard to relevant consideration".