Alutrint QC delivers submissions

EMA 'Certificate' matter
Thursday, September 24th 2009

Arguments challenging High Court Judge Mira Dean-Armorer's decision to quash the decision of the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) to issue a Certificate of Environmental Clearance (CEC) to Alutrint, developer of the aluminium smelter at La Brea, entered day two yesterday, with Queen's Counsel Keith Straker delivering his submissions.

Straker has been retained by Alutrint Ltd, while attorneys Douglas Mendes, SC, and Ian Benjamin are representing the EMA. Russell Martineau, SC, and Stuart Young appeared for the Attorney General, while Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, SC, and Vijaya Maharaj represented the Rights Action Group (RAG). Fyard Hosein, SC, and Rishi Dass appeared on behalf of the Smelter Karavan.

The appeal, which is being heard before Chief Justice Ivor Archie and Justices Alan Mendonca and Wendell Kangaloo, heard Straker outline to the court the application procedure used by Alutrint in the forerunner to receiving the nod from Government. The matter continues tomorrow.

Earlier this year, Justice Dean-Armorer, in her 156-page ruling on June 16, noted that proper consultation between La Brea residents and the EMA was not above board. Her eventual ruling, which quashed the EMA's decision to issue a CEC, put a halt to the construct a billion-dollar Alutrint aluminum smelter project. -DR

Source: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161535877