The EMA's challenge

Saturday, June 27th 2009
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_opinion?id=161497808

There are many challenges that face the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) as it discharges its responsibilities. But Opposition Leader Mr Basdeo Panday's call for the resignation of its board is certainly not one of them and can only cloud the issue for many persons who recall the court ruling on the Rowley challenge to the Integrity Commission, which led to the commission's collective resignation.

The present EMA board has only been in office for a few months and its managing director Dr Joth Singh has been in office for about one year. The issue of the questionable Certificate of Environmental Clearance for the Alutrint aluminium smelter arose some time ago and has been before the High Court for many months. There can therefore be no valid reason for a call for resignation of the current board. On the other hand this does not necessarily mean that the court ruling does not present serious challenges to the EMA, Government and the citizens of the country. The two options for the Government are clear enough. It could appeal the decision but this may trigger a process that could end up in the Privy Council, a process that would take time and the outcome of which is uncertain. It could instruct the EMA to start the process afresh and adhere rigidly to all procedures. But there are broader general issues that must be considered. Mr. Manning makes an issue of "outsiders" being involved in the Alutrint protests. This is a very dubious stand for the simple reason that ours is a small, densely populated island and whatever may be said about heavy industrialisation nowhere has the process ever been seen to be without environmental costs. Moreover all smelting activities are essentially dirty and rely on energy consumption. Aluminium smelting demands a lot of electricity, the power in our case coming from burning a finite resource - natural gas. This is surely a national issue that is still to be thoroughly ventilated. It is all very well for the government authorities to talk of carbon capture and carbon sinks but citizens must do the arithmetic. If the Alutrint smelter is completed the process of producing 125,000 tonnes of aluminium will generate almost twice, if not more, that figure in carbon dioxide each year. And there are still the thorny issues of the health of citizens living near such a smelter and the disposal of the highly toxic spent potliners. We must also remind citizens that when the Mary King-chaired Joint Select Committee attempted to review the general issue it was contemptuously blanked by the National Energy Corporation and others. Prime Minister Manning may have his vision but his cannot be the only one. A proper national consultation is the only way forward.