Work on Alutrint smelter stopped

Camille Bethel South Bureau
Saturday, June 20th 2009
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161494078

Work on the Alutrint smelter in La Brea has stopped following Tuesday's High Court judgment that quashed the Certificate of Environmental Clearance (CEC) that gave the company approval to start construction of its controversial aluminium smelter.

But work continues on three other projects that will support the smelter-a port, power plant and building site.

This according to a media release from the National Energy Corporation, the manager of the Industrial Estate. On Tuesday, High Court judge Mira Dean-Armorer blocked the smelter construction after finding flaws in the CEC granted by the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) to Alutrint. But there were suggestions by La Brea residents that work was still being carried out on the site. The NEC stated "for the benefit of the general public that work underway at Union Industrial Estate, specifically the construction of the TGU power plant, the temporary work camp, for Alutrint's EPC contractor, the China National Machinery and Equipment, Import and Export Corporation (CMEC) the new port at Brighton, La Brea as well as overall Estate preparation works are governed by approved CEC's." These works the NEC said will continue because they have approved CECs.