Quarry dust creating problems for St Lucy resident

The sole resident of a St Lucy community is at his wits’ end as dust from a nearby limestone quarry operated by the Arawak Cement Plant continues to create health and other problems for him, despite his repeated pleas for relief.

Marcus Brewster, who has been living in Bourbon, Hannah’s, Fosters Road for the past 16 years, told Barbados TODAY he had exhausted all possible avenues in search of a solution to the situation that has seen as much as two inches of dust blanketing the area.

He said that in addition to creating respiratory concerns, the dust had affected all parts of the solar energy infrastructure he had invested in over the last 15 years.

Brewster explained that dust has been falling from trucks that move the limestone to and from the quarry daily, and while it had been manageable in the early stages, it had worsened after a different contractor took over work at the site.

“This started happening a couple years ago, but not like this. When Stephen Ward had the contract, his men used to wet the road…, they didn’t drive like it was a highway road. These guys here drive like it’s a highway,” he complained as he spoke to a Barbados TODAY team that visited the area on Monday. 

“I am telling you right now, you would not like to be here when you see one of those trucks come out [with] the dust that you could see pelting up in the air and spinning.” 

Brewster said police had visited the location recently but that had not provided him with any relief.

“I went to the police. The police came here themselves and the head police who was dealing with it said he could not stay here any longer because he had sinus problems and he cannot take this dust,” the frustrated resident reported.

“[The policeman] went down there and he called me and said they are looking into the matter to see if they can send a truck to wet the road. Nothing happened. The thing is that yesterday [Arawak] came here and grated this road [with] a bulldozer and it got worse.”

Brewster said his repeated pleas for help had fallen on deaf ears and it seemed to him that “nobody cares”.

“I am the only person who lives out here. I was here before this quarry and this is total nonsense. You can see how all of my trees have a white look…. My inverter for the solar panels that I bought two months ago, although it’s in a building, the dust was bathing us,” he lamented.

Up to press time, General Manager of Arawak Cement Company Limited Carlos Cordero could not be reached for comment. 

However, Health and Safety Coordinator for the plant, Sema Juma told Barbados TODAY she was not aware of the situation and promised the matter would be investigated. (SB)