'EMA clearing up smelter issues'

Anna Ramdass aramdass@trinidadexpress.com
Friday, June 26th 2009
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_business?id=161497187

The Environmental Management Authority (EMA) is working to clear up issues raised in the High Court judgment which deemed the Certificate of Environmental Clearance for the construction of Alutrint's aluminum smelter at La Brea unlawful, Energy Minister Conrad Enill said.

Speaking at the post-Cabinet press conference at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's yesterday, Enill said a river at the back of the aluminium smelter site was being prepared to prevent any possible disaster and this did not require a CEC.

Last week Justice Mira Dean-Armorer quashed the decision of the EMA to grant a CEC for the billion-dollar project. However, both Enill and Prime Minister Patrick Manning had said that the project was still on stream as soon as the concerns raised in the judgement were sorted out. Enill said the discussion currently taking place with the EMA centered around the possible environmental disaster that would occur if the work was stopped as it related to a river at the back of the site. "The judge ordered that the CEC be quashed and it be reverted to the EMA for consideration and that is what is taking place now," said Enill. The EMA stated in a release last night that it was conducting interventions required for stabilising the Alutrint construction site following the High Court ruling. "In this regard, the EMA is aware of Alutrint's intent to remedy potential safety risks at the La Brea construction site." This work involves the removal of concrete blocks used as test loads during pile testing which Alutrint had reported were inclining dangerously and had the potential to cause serious harm if left unattended, the EMA said. With respect to the Government's initiative in the development of the energy industry through oil exploration, Enill disclosed that two contracts were granted. Enill said the contract for exploration of block 2(ab) off the east coast of Trinidad was granted to foreign energy company Centrica and Guayaguayare shallow and deep horizon blocks were awarded to Voyager Energy Ltd. He said once these contracts were finalised the financial obligations would follow, including a signature bonus of US$8 million for block 2(ab) payable ten days after the effective date of the contract and some US$5.5 million for the shallow and deep horizon blocks. He added that some US$100,000 would be pumped into the research and development as it related to block 2(ab). Enill said notwithstanding the economic circumstances, there were still companies that were proceeding with business and this particular decision to grant these contracts was part of the continuation of Government's exploration programme.