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Treat this environmental situation with a greater sense of urgency

Sep 07, 2014 Letters

Dear Editor,
Over the last few weeks, the Environmental Community Health Organization (Echo) has been receiving calls from residents of Region One about the state of the Port Kaituma River. There needs to be urgent action, on the part of the authorities, to stop the pollution of this river and the wider environment.
We have reports that individuals have been using that waterway as a refuse receptacle; they have been dumping garbage in the river.
Further, mining operations are contributing in a significant way to the pollution of the river.
We recall that in April, 2014, there was an explosion and oil spill in the Port Kaituma water. The Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Mr. Robert Persaud, had said at that time that a team from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was carrying out an assessment to evaluate the effect of the oil in the river. However, this is September we have heard nothing about that assessment and the river continues to be contaminated and residents in local communities who depend on that river for water to do daily chores are justifiably concerned about their personal and community health.
We also heard that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has committed $80 million to assist with the construction of a water treatment plant, in that area. This is commendable but it does not address the challenge of the continuous contamination of the river. For us, doing the assessment, evaluating it and addressing the pollution is vital to the protection of the environment because the pollution can affect the ecological balance of the river. Naturally, this has implications for the wider environment and public health.
Therefore, we are calling on the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Ministry of Health to treat this environmental situation with a greater sense of urgency and to protect the health and integrity of the environment.
Royston King
Executive Director
Environmental Community Health Organization

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