Residents: Smelter work shaking us out of bed

Camille Bethel cbethel@trinidadexpress.com
Saturday, June 13th 2009
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_business?id=161490343

The builders of the Alutrint aluminium smelter were faced with another obstacle yesterday-residents angered that heavy construction work was shaking them out of bed.

Residents living near the Union Industrial Estate said they were headed to the site to complain on Thursday, when the construction workers-most of them Chinese labourers-retreated.

Yesterday there was more rancour between residents and officials of Alutrint at the company's office at Vessigny Village.

This after someone at the company dropped off notices, informing the community that there would be compaction work long after it had begun.

Some residents said they were shaken out of their beds by the vibrations.

Resident Leon Modeste said it showed the disrespect of the company towards the people of the area.

Alutrint corporate communications manager Josieann Richards, in an e-mailed response, said the company and its EPC (engineer, procure, construct) had considered the impact of the work on residents of Square Deal in particular.

"In an effort to bring some relief to affected residents in the short term, a decision has been made to conduct the compaction works taking place 500 metres east of the project-affected communities between 7.30 a.m. and 8 p.m. only. "Any compaction work being conducted within a 200-metre vicinity of the project-affected communities will end at 4 p.m.," the company stated.