"Panit 2 Planet: Drumit 3" - The Greens on Picadilly Street, East POS

The 3rd 'Drumit' took place on 28th November to coincide with the CHOGM Heads of Government meeting. Thousands of emails and flyers were distributed. The turn out was small. Our efforts to get the attention of the foreign press were not successful. Very few international NGO representatives attended. In many regards it was not successful, the DJ with the public address system was several hours late. The medium sized pan sides who had committed to being there did not show up...there was no 'pan' at the 'panit'.

The local press was there early. They left before we got started. Some 64 persons attended most were part of a core progressive group involved in social activism. Speakers included persons from La Brea Concerned Citizens United, Rights Action Group, Jubilange People's Community Co-operative Society Limited, National Joint Action Committee, National Food Crop Farmers Association, Claxton Bay Fishermen's Association, Clyde Weatherhead, Clive Ninez. Burton Sankeralli performed several songs.

Despite the disappointing turnout, a relationship was initiated between the La Brea and Laventille community groups, one fighting against a proposed toxic industry (Alutrint) and the other fighting against neglect, poverty and the vulnerability of youth to easily accessible drugs and guns.

Both groups pledged to gain better understanding of each other and work together.

Hypocrite!!!!!...My god how did we get like this?

This is a picture which appeared in a report by the Guardian Newspaper, dated 1st November, 2009, of WITCO Executive Director, Sheldon Taitt, Arima MP Penelope Beckles and Asa Wright Nature Centre's Chairman Carol James, together in a symbolic tree planting at the Centre on 23rd October.

I almost fell over when I read the story...Carol apparently said "stop the rape of the Northern Range to feed the construction sector"...and Penelope replied "lambasting indiscriminate quarrying". Oh please, "hold meh"...This is the same Penelope Beckles who DEREGULATED THE QUARRYING SECTOR IN 2007..."hold meh"..."stop please". It was Penelope when she was Minister of Housing, Planning and Environment who introduced the ORDER in parliament which removed quarrying from the EMA's list of 'Designated Activities' which legally required environmental accountability in the quarrying sector. Now there is no law. Quarry Operators can now do as they please lick up everything....Penelope you must feel that people real real real stupid. But I assure you, we are not as stupid as you are a hypocrite.

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.

RELOCATION LIES Fact Sheet distributed by La Brea Concerned Citizens United

DON’T BE FOOLED AGAIN – Illegal Operations, Trickery in
Relocation Exercises - FACT!

1. Alutrint is conducting works in its site in violation of the Certificate of Environmental Clearance it got from the EMA. The Section of the Certificate on ‘Resident Relocation and Resettlement’, says:

“All final negotiations for the acquisition of all properties and compensation shall be completed before the commencement of all works” (page 4, Section I, Certificate of Environmental Clearance).

This Resettlement only applies to residents within 100 metres (300 feet) of the Buffer Zone of the Smelter Complex. Alutrint has not settled the negotiations on relocation and acquired all properties but it has commenced works on the site driving test piles and compacting the soil draining out the water. Residents can hear this day and night and have to eat and breathe dust day and night.

CAN WE TRUST THE COMPANY THAT BREAKS THE LAW? IF THIS COMPANY WENT FOR A CERTIFICATE OF CHARACTER, LIKE THE ONES BEING ASKED OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE BEFORE THEY COULD BE CONSIDERED FOR JOBS, WOULD IT QUALIFY FOR ONE?

2. Alutrint Is Violating the Guidelines in its permit for relocating residents as well as what it says in its own Resident Relocation Plan. Alutrint’s own Resident Relocation Plan says that it is following the World Bank Guidelines, which means it should relocate people to equal or better conditions, they should not lose their livelihoods, and Alutrint should negotiate with the people.

Instead of negotiating, Alutrint, through its valuation company Row and NEC, has disrespected and bossed around the residents and tries to move them to place as far as Debe where they cannot keep their jobs in La Brea and put them in pre-fab houses that are inferior. Now it decided to put them in Hubertstown without talking to the residents.

The residents have requested a formal meeting that is documented and cannot get one. Alutrint does not want to meet the residents in public meetings it wants to pick us off one by one and meet “leaders” so that it can give them hands outs and breaks our strength. Why doesn’t Alutrint want to come into the light?

3. Alutrint is trying to make the public feel that they are going along fine with relocation. THEY ARE NOT! Alutrint had a ceremony to turn the sod at Hubertstown and it was attended mostly by URP workers that they brought in to fill up the place. None of the residents that were supposed to be relocated attended except for one who went to speak to them about our cause.

ALUTRINT WANTS THE REST IF TRINIDAD TO BELIEVE THAT LOCAL PEOPLE ARE ALL HAPPY WITH ALUTRINT AND IT IS ONLY A SAMLL GROUP THAT IS UNHAPPY. THIS IS HOW THEY ARE HOPING TO SNEAK THROUGH AND BULID THE SMELTER TO SMELT ALL OF US IN SOBO, VANCE RIVER, VESSIGNY AND UNION.
ARE WE GOING TO LET THEM GET AWAY WITH THEIR TRICKERY AGAIN?

4. Alutrint is trying to pass off responsibility for relocation as if it is NEC’s responsibility. IT is NOT! The NEC transferred the certificate of environmental clearance to Alutrint since the beginning of 2008.

Alutrint is legally and soley responsible for everything concerning the smelter whether it is hiring people to build it or settling relocation. So whether it is NEC doing the relocation, or ROW, or people from another planet, Alutrint is still responsible to the residents and is responsible for doing it in accordance with what is in the Plans and requirement of the Certificate of Environmental Clearance. It is not doing this and when the truth comes out it tries to blame the NEC. What kind of people do that sort of thing?

ALUTRINT HAS PROVEN THAT IT CANNOT BE TRUSTED.
DO YOU TRUST ALUTRINT WITH YOUR LIFE?

GET THE FACTS. STAND UP FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY.
COME OUT AND JOIN OTHER VILLAGERS TO STAND UP TOGETHER.
EITHER THE SMELTER GOES AND RESIDENTS GET REGULARISED OR WE ALL GET RELOCATED

For more information come out to Meetings
Together We Will !!!

Letter and Agenda sent to Police Commissioner Requesting Permission for Second Drummit

29th April, 2009

Commissioner of Police
Police Service Administration Building
Cor. Abercrombie & Sackville
Port-of Spain

Dear Sir,

Re: Request for Permission to hold Public Event

By way of this letter I wish to formally request permission to hold a “conscious cultural” event at the St. James Amphitheatre on Saturday 23rd May from 3-6 pm.

This event will combine drumming with public speaking and will require a PA system. We will be speaking about matters of social and environmental importance including food, water, land, energy, culture and sustainable development.

Residents of communities from around Trinidad will be speaking about their experiences and solutions to problems. Members of our Group ‘Truth Drummers’ will also be speaking. I have attached a detailed agenda to illustrate the content of the presentations at our event.

This event is intended to raise public awareness for the greater good of the country and will be conducted in a professional and publicly responsible manner.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Senior Superintendent of the Western Division for her intervention at the first Drummit Event which resolved the unnecessary confrontation which arose between the police and persons participating in the event.

We look forward to you granting permission as soon as possible and the support and presence of the Police Service on the 23rd.

Sincerely,

_______________
Truth Drummer


cc: Senior Superintendant, Western Division, St. James Police Station

AGENDA (revised)
Date: 23rd May, 2009
Venue: St. James Amphitheatre
Time: 3pm to 6pm

Theme: "Our Water, Our Food, Our Energy - Our Future"

1) Welcome
2) National Anthem
3) Silent Tribute to Adrian Richards (little drummer boy who lost his life)
4) Drumming tribute to 'Hosay Drummers'
5) Presentations by Community Residents (Claxton Bay, Pranz Gardens, Chatham, Square

Deal, Acono Village, Maracas Valley)
6) Statements by Truth Drummers (on security of food, water, land, energy and culture)
7) Launch of ‘Sustainability First’ Initiative
8) Poetic Presentation
9) Unity Drumming – Invoking a National Community
10) Closing Remarks
END

Names of persons scheduled to make Presentations include:
Michael Parris
Cathal Healy-Singh
Norris Deonarine
Gary Aboud
Peter Vine
Wayne Kublalsingh

Proof of Anti-Sustainable Development - The Deregulation of Quarries and the Northern Range

In April 2009, Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) is hosting the 5th Summit of the Americas with a theme of “environmental sustainability”.

The Truth Drummers say that any declarations signed committing to environmental sustainability would be hypocritical because T&T is depleting its energy resources as fast as is technologically possible to meet the demands of the USA, foreign corporations and a handful of local elites. The price of this ‘gas stripping’ remains unknown (“in an abundance of water the fool is thirsty...Rat Race”, Bob Marley).

This posting seeks to demonstrate that T&T is on an anti-sustainable path by examining the quarrying sector.

Before we begin, let us accept the definition of sustainable development in its broadest possible terms - as meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Let us also remind ourselves that the World Summit for Sustainable Development (Rio plus 10, Johannesburg, 2002) declared that “there must be at the domestic level, sound environmen­tal, social and economic policies, and democratic institu­tions responsive to the needs of the people.”

Let us start our demonstration with an overview of the role of Environmental Management Authority (EMA) which began operations in June 1995 with start up money from the World Bank and a mandate to “write and enforce laws and regulations for environmental management, to educate the public about the nation's environmental issues and to control and prevent pollution, as well as conserve natural resources.” (EMA website). The principle environmental legislation enacted so far is the Environmental Management Act of 2000.

The EMA’s National Environmental Policy (revised in September, 2005) states “Moreover, the development of the petroleum and petrochemical sector has expanded to the extent that T&T is now the largest supplier of natural gas to the USA and the number one exporter of ammonia in the world. These developments have given the country global recognition and attention. The Government is therefore duty bound to ensure that T&T finds the right balance between economic development and environmental conservation.”

This Policy recognizes the environment as “an essential pillar of economic and social development and consequently environmental sustainability is a key objective of economic development planning”...in formulating this Policy...“the government focused on the sustainable management of the country’s environmental assets rather than the narrower concept of environmental protection, which tends to bring into conflict environment and development. The Policy therefore assures that economic development is not undermined by the unsustainable use of our environmental assets.”

The EMA is the focal point of development decision making since one of its functions is to issue Certificates of Environmental Clearance (CEC) to new development projects that may impact the environment. Where environmental impacts are expected to be significant the developer is required to engagethe services of a suitable consultant to undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

'Mining' (quarrying) was included in the ‘List of Designated Activities’ (Activity 23, established by Order 103 in 2001) which under the CEC Rules required an EIA.

The EMA’s 2004 State of the Environment Report is an assessment of the contribution of ecosystem services of the Northern Range (NR) of Trinidad and Tobago to human well-being. "It is the result of a remarkable jointly lead pro bono collaboration between several civic society organizations and private individuals with the EMA and employees of several government Ministries and agencies acting in their personal capacities” (former Chairman of the Board Dr. John Agard).

This Report is important because 80% of our drinking water comes off the NR – a mountainous region running east-to-west along the north coast, covering about 25% of Trinidad’s land area and obviously the most important watershed on the island. The findings of the EMA's Report include:

1. 33 quarries operating in the NR
   
2. the environmental effects of uncontrolled quarrying create major problems for persons who live in or use the immediate environs of the quarries
   
3. NR watersheds are becoming more degraded
   
4. declining trend in fresh water fish catch and
   
5. quarry operations are dictated by business economics to the exclusion of environmental situation…and aggravated by poor level of control over the industry

The Report goes on to state “the Water and Sewage Authority (WASA) spends $TT 13.4M per month (Million) on desalination water which accounts for 10% of total supply and….. if WASA had to substitute the surface water supplied by the Northern Range for desalinated water, this would cost “$TT 107M /month.”
The Report recommended:

1. Accelerate revision of the Quarry policy and increase threshold for good practice in this sector
   
2. Give priority to rehabilitation and restoration where possible to abandoned quarry sites to arrest erosion and run-off
   
3. Disallow further quarrying in the NR and if necessary import aggregate
   
4. Bring into the regulatory framework quarries that pre-existed the EM Act

The Report also noted that “the situation in the Northern Range could be helped if there was a champion of the issues at the political level.”

Switching now to the related Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, which is responsible for issuing mining (quarry) licenses. Their 2005 draft Green Paper on Quarry Policy states that “the Trinidad and Tobago quarry industry in 2004, comprised fifty-six (56) active quarries of which thirty-eight (38) are sand and gravel quarries. Of the sand and gravel quarries twelve (12) were operating illegally.

The Green Paper recognizes that “growth and development of the energy sector and that of the construction sector in Trinidad and Tobago are highly correlated” and that “the current high level of growth in the construction sector is reflected in soaring demand for quarry materials and has stimulated a high degree of activity in the sector.”

Quoting further from the Policy: “Possible quarry reserves as at January 1, 2004 in Trinidad and Tobago were 2,530 million cubic yards spread over 8,430 acres. The lack of proper legal arrangements and other shortcomings in the administration of the sector became more obvious as it led to an unprecedented spate of illegal quarrying..."

Based on data included in the Green Paper, over 90% of quarrying activity takes place in the Northern Range.

The major quarry Policy goal stated is to “promote sustainable development of the quarry industry of Trinidad and Tobago for the benefit of its people in an environmentally sound manner and consistent with Government’s macroeconomic policy.”

The Green Paper acknowledges the following shortcomings in the sector:

1. absence of regulations to grant quarry licenses
2. ambiguity with respect to the procedures for assigning and terminating licenses
3. conflicts with existing legislative provisions e.g. the Environmental Management Authority Act
4. ineffective and deficient regulatory control
5. inappropriate legislative mechanisms and Institutional weaknesses
6. currently the quarry industry in Trinidad and Tobago is deluged with environmental problems. These are being addressed as a matter of urgency

That is the background. Now let us see what happened next...

Astonishingly to the naive, in 2007 and 2008, two successive Ministers with Environmental portfolios reversed the Certificate of Environmental Clearance (CEC) Rules to ensure that new quarry applications would no longer be subject to any form of social and environmental assessment or scrutiny! (Presumably not the "political level champion sought by EMA).

The first reversal or 'anti-sustainable development blow' was made by former Minister of Public Utilities and Environment, Penelope Beckles (she is now Speaker of House) – through Legal Notice 164, July 2007. The second anti-sustainable development blow was made by the current Minister of Planning, Housing and Environment, Dr. Emily Dick-Forde – through Legal Notice 186, November 2008).

Penelope Beckles’ Order made sure that no application for quarries less than 150 acres would be subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)! (no quarry is as big as this mind you). The result was impressive, by the end of 2007 there were 17 new applications for quarries and a withdrawal of a pending application, submitted before the Order (for a quarry in Ortinola, Acono, in the Maracas Valley, in the centre of the Northern Range).

In her haste to open the quarrying flood gates, however, ex-Minister Beckles overlooked another ‘Designated Activity’ in the CEC Rules, (8c) one for “ the clearing, excavation, grading or land filling of any area with a gradient of 1:4 or more” which also required that an Environmental Impact Assessment be performed. But no worries, up stepped Minister Dick-Ford to take care of any residual 'sustainability loopholes'.

Her December 2008 Order exempted quarrying activity from any such assessment. Again, these 'environmental hating' actions might appear astonishing to the naive but are par for the course, if one is following the leader carefully. Of course Minister Dick-Forde's Order is ludicrous as essential quarry operations are "clearing, grading, excavating and backfilling!"

Conclusion
Successive Ministers responsible for the “environment” have sacrificed declared policy and sustainability goals to serve perceived economic gains in the energy and construction sectors. The consequences of this sacrifice are profound; not only are the resources of the Northern Range being denied to future generations, not only are people living there right now suffering from reduced quality of life, but the integrity of the supposed democratic process and trust in Government institutions to look after the well being of present and future generations, are also shattered.

Truth Drummers have used the quarry sector to demonstrate ‘anti-sustainable development' with far reaching and destabilizing implications. The hypocrisy of T&T’s Government signing a ‘Declaration of Commitment’ to sustainability at the up-coming Summit while doing the opposite at home is why we will Drummit to the Summit.