Panday: EMA board must resign

...following smelter judgment
Thursday, June 18th 2009
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161492694

The Board of the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) must resign in the face of the judgment from Justice Mira Dean-Armorer in the Alutrint smelter case, says Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday.

"This judgment is a very powerful indictment against the conduct of the EMA and in particular the board of the EMA. The criticisms made by the judge are almost identical to the statements of the judge in the Integrity Commission matter which saw the board of the Integrity Commission resigning. The EMA board should do the same as the former Integrity Commission and step down," stated Panday in a media release.

Panday noted that Dean-Armorer in her judgment stated the EMA violated the Environmental Management Act and the EMA's decision was procedurally irregular, irrational and made without proper consideration of all the relevant factors.

"Is it that the EMA acted with gross and wanton negligence in such a serious matter? Or is it that the EMA acted under political pressure from the Government? Those are the only two scenarios that can explain such conduct from the EMA and neither is acceptable," said Panday.

He asserted that the EMA board must be resilient and strong enough to be independent and not buckle under political pressure or any other influence, and it must be competent in its function, especially where we are talking about approval for such a hazardous operation as a smelter plant.

Panday said the court judgment has cast suspicion on the conduct of the EMA in all of its affairs and if the current board remains, it would further undermine confidence in the EMA, similar to the loss of confidence in the Integrity Commission and Office of the President as currently being seen.

Meanwhile, the Congress of the People's Youth Congress in a release, issued a call for the EMA to account for its procedurally irregular and irrational actions.

It wants the EMA to answer why it granted Alutrint clearance, when there was evidently an irreversible and precarious threat to the environment by constructing the smelter and also knowing that the smelter would pose a definite risk to human health.

It said it believes that the government's thrust to build a smelter with billions of taxpayers' dollars is highly irresponsible in this time of economic crisis.