Latest update February 15th, 2025 12:52 PM
Latest News
- Exxon given more time to respond to first two audits – Routledge
- Guyana put on Donald Trump’s list to accept African and Asian deportees
- Ukraine’s Zelenskyy calls for united US-Europe support against Russia
- Opposition agrees with TI findings on corruption in Guyana
- Man assaults ex-partner for bringing husband into shared home
Residents, contractor differ on dust pollution
Repairs along the East Bank Berbice Public Road are long overdue. The inconvenience
One of the fuel tankers belonging to the GUYOIL Company that frequents the East Bank Berbice route
is causing residents to complain against having to traverse a road which is in such a deplorable state.
The 25-mile stretch road begins from Tacama Turn, Stanleytown New Amsterdam and ends at the Mara and Germania villages.
According to villagers, they have repeatedly made requests for a new road.
“We need this road to be done soon because a lot of people use the road every single day. The patch work they would normally do cannot work anymore. These potholes are expanding daily and with so much of traffic it is bound to get worse soon,” said one man.
Kaieteur News was told that earlier in the month crusher run stones were placed along the roadway in the larger holes
This provided a temporary ease for persons travelling along the route. However the repairs did not last very long.
Two residents Peter Dos Ramos and his wife, Rose Dos Ramos, recently complained that they are constantly and heavily affected by work being done in the area by the H. Nauth and Sons Civil Engineering Contractors Company.
According to the couple, Nauth has been stationed along the roadway near to where they live, and they are being badly affected by dust emanating from bitumen being processed at his location.
They claimed that this company has been “wreaking havoc” with their lives over the past months with the work it has been engaged in.
The Dos Ramoses also questioned how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could allow a road construction company to process materials that give off large amounts of dust in the atmosphere located where people live and exist.
The man and his wife also alleged to have painted their house brown to compensate for the dust that usually comes from the road building programme. The truth is that the house is painted white.
A section of the Plant that processes bitumen belonging to the H. Nauth & Sons Civil Engineering Contractors Company
They further told Kaieteur News that they would hardly spend time at home and would “have to wait the entire day out” in New Amsterdam or at their local church in the town since it is hard for them to be at home and endure the dust and noise from the site.
It was also stated that the entire roadway would vibrate when heavy duty vehicles belonging to Nauth’s company would ply the route. The road is said to be “breaking up more” each time this occurs.
However, while many vehicles ply the route it was noted that the heavy duty vehicles which frequented the road belonged to other companies such as GUYOIL.
Minibuses, cars and other personal vehicles were also seen back and forth on the road, some loaded with commuters.
Kiran Nauth, head of H. Nauth and Sons Civil Engineering Contractors’, told this newspaper that as it relates to the dust complaints, the location was visited by the EPA while the plant was operational and the agency verified that his company did not pose any threat to residents in the area.
He explained that the EPA conducted numerous tests during the visit and explored the entire site to ensure that his company could proceed with its work.
“The EPA came here and conducted the required tests so when people say that the EPA is not doing anything they are wrong.”
Terry Ramsahoye, Plant Manager, stated that there is no dust problem at the plant therefore the Dos Ramos couple could not say that they were being affected by any dust from their site.
“We don’t have a dust problem here you know; we have a water system that washes all the dust together and the only thing coming out of the plant during production is steam, not dust.
“The steam is being directed over the river.”
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
The Opposition is engaged in self-sabotage
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- You know, I never thought I’d see the day when elections in Guyana would become something... more
OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus
Antiguan Barbudan Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The upcoming election... more
Weekend Cartoon
