Beckles calls for ‘healthy bottom line’

Acknowledging that some 80 percent of pollution within Trinidad and Tobago’s waters is as a result of land-based companies, Public Utilities and Environment Minister Pennelope Beckles has called on the private sector to adopt environmental practices that would contribute to a “healthy bottom line.” She revealed that the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) would be working closely with companies to ensure “compliance” with imminent legislation such as the Water Pollution Rules. “The Ministry, through the EMA, will be working with companies to come into compliance with existing environmental law as well as imminent laws such as the Water Pollution Rules,” she said.

Beckles added: “Through other proposed legislation such as the beverage containers bill, we hope to address the issue of cost and proper disposal of plastics and other non-biodegradable materials, which will make it available for TCL to use.” She was addressing the formal opening of Trinidad Cement Ltd’s, (TCL), World Environment Day seminar at the company’s Claxton Bay headquarters, yesterday. She praised TCL’s recent environmental initiatives including the company’s recent acquisitions of a state-of-the-art water clarifier and industrial vacuum cleaning unit.

But it was the company’s latest innovation of using its cement kilns as a means of waste disposal that drew accolades from the Minister, who described the method as a “direct and workable solution” for environmental preservation. Also addressing the launch was TCL general manager, Arun Goyal, who observed that the new waste-disposal method would safely and efficiently dispose of all plastic waste, used tyres and waste oils.