Residents near Arawak Cement Plant hoping for relief from dust in New Year

Following a meeting with the management of the Arawak Cement Plant, some St Lucy residents are hopeful that a resolution can be found to their grievances early in the New Year.

And they are seeking the assistance of Democratic Labour Party (DLP) president and candidate Verla DePeiza in that regard.

On Wednesday, several Checker Hall residents gathered to voice their displeasure about the challenges caused by operations at the Cement Plant, including the heavy settlement of dust on their properties and noise pollution.

Spokesperson for the group Mitch Blackman, who said he was fed up with the situation, said the company had been in discussion with residents.

“We had a meeting today with the Cement Plant. It went well but words do not mean anything until there is some action behind it,” he said. “The Cement Plant as a company has got to step up to the plate, they have got to do the right things…. These people need not suffer like this. You have an investment in a home and you can’t even enjoy the ambience of your own home.…”

“This has been going on now for too long and I’ve invited our new [DLP candidate] to  come here to see for herself what is going on to see what she can do to stop this…. I will call upon Ms DePeiza to do all that she can also for Maycocks and Bromefield which are heavily affected also. It has to stop,” Blackman maintained.

He accused Prime Minister Mia Mottley of “doing nothing” despite being aware of the longstanding problems.

Another resident, Birchmore Griffith, who has been living in the area since 1973 and tried unsuccessfully to sue the Cement Plant in 1989, said dust was one of the main issues.

He lamented that the company had stopped assisting residents in cleaning their homes.

“Three years ago … the new management said they weren’t making enough money to continue cleaning with the new agreement that we had. They used to clean the homes on a daily basis; every year they would do general cleaning and power washing and cleaning the furniture but that was stopped three years ago,” Griffith said.

“Since then my attorney has written them but we have had no response. The Cement Plant has blocked us from communication; however, for some reason this morning we had a meeting to try to get to the root of what solution they will come to and hopefully within the next week they say they will have another meeting to sort that out.”

DePeiza, who was in the area, promised to lend any assistance she could, either as a politician or as an attorney-at-law.

She said it was disappointing that residents were being negatively affected by operations at the Cement Plant.

“The dust is tangible – you can see that for yourselves – but the noise is also a critical factor; lights too, but I think lights are something they are more prepared to live with. You can’t live with this dust…. There could be some parameters discussed in terms of the timing of operations. I think the residents would be grateful but those are solutions that will be placed on the table for consideration,” DePeiza said.

“We’ve been promised a meeting next week. I don’t doubt that it will happen. I’m hoping that it will also come to conclusion, that there will be settlement of the issues. I think the residents want to live with their neighbour well and they want to be good citizens and they also want the Cement Plant to be good corporate citizens.”

DePeiza said residents in Maycocks were also affected by the dust and complained about feeling vibrations. 
randybennett@barbadostoday.bb