Protesters plant fruit trees on site earmarked for chemical plant

Making way for fruit trees (Guardian photo)

Environmental activists led by Dr Wayne Kublalsingh on Saturday took matters in their own hands removed concrete posts from a site earmarked for construction of a chemical plant and planted mango and soursop trees instead.

It happened at the site of the CariSal chemical plant next in Point Lisas. The scores of protesters are members of a group called the Point Lisas East Resource Development Association.

They come from the surrounding villages of Phoenix Park, Savonetta Estate and Savonetta Village and their message is that the construction of the plant would damage the health of people in their communities and also have a devastating effect on the environment.

CariSal was founded in 2005 to build a chemical complex to produce caustic soda, calcium chloride, hydrochloric acid and sodium hypochlorite. In 2009, it received a Certificate of Clearance from the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) that cleared the way for the company to begin to build the plant.

The Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago has said the CariSal plant will be the second largest dry calcium chloride plant in the Western Hemisphere and the largest caustic soda plant in the West Indies.

Kublalsingh told local media he and the members of the community decided to take action because so far they have not had any response to their concerns from the government.

The group met recently with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and explained their concerns and the nature of the problem they face.

Kublalsingh explained why they planted fruit trees.

"We are saying we want in this area agriculture, free farming, food production and a food park. We want technical services, administrative services, a sporting complex, housing. Everything—put it on this side of the estate. Do not put any heavy, gas-based industry on this side of the estate."