Woodbrook residents to protest noise, air pollution

Residents of Woodbrook say they are prepared to block roads and burn tyres if they receive no relief from the noise and air pollution they now experience, as a result of excavation work being conducted by Home Construction Ltd (HCL) at the site of One Woodbrook Place. HCL began construction of a three-tower high-rise apartment project in Woodbrook two months ago. The project is currently in the excavation stage, where landfill is being removed from the site. The project is earmarked for completion by 2007. Spokesperson for the Woodbrook Residents Committee (WRC), Lynette Dolly, said the work is a nuisance to neighbours in the area and the committee is calling on the relevant Government authorities to take action. Dolly told Newsday, “We want to go the legal way but if nothing is done in the next few days we will have to take drastic steps.”

The WRC had written to both  the Environmental Management Authority and HCL on July 14, complaining of HCL’s “flouting of all the rules of decency and the contamination of the environment.” The residents complained of damage being done to O’Connor and Damien Streets among others; that residents are subjected to dust in yards, on cars and in homes and in their food; and dirt being washed into the drains, clogging them. They have also complained of the steady flow of trucks, one every ten minutes from 7 am to 7 pm. These trucks, WRC claimed, are not only noisy, but emit diesel fumes, and pose a hindrance to children home on holidays who play in the streets. WRC added that the truck loads were not properly secured, which is an environmental offence. Dolly said that the WRC has received no response from HCL nor the EMA concerning a remedy to the situation.

Copies of the letter have also been sent to the Mayor of Port-of-Spain, Murchison Browne; Parliamen-tary Representative for Port-of-Spain South, Eric Williams; Commissioner of Police, Trevor Paul; St James Police Station; Traffic Management Branch, and to various ministries. Dolly said that, to date, Williams has responded and assured the WRC that he was dealing with the matter. However, when Newsday contacted the EMA, the secretary for the chairman of the board Dr John Agard said that Dr Agard  received a copy of the letter only on Monday and that the complaints department was “dealing with it.” HCL public relations officer, Lisa Ghany, told Newsday that HCL met with a group of residents this week, and assured them that HCL will address every aspect of the letter. “We gave them a commitment that we would try to look at the hours the trucks are running and try to minimise activity on a Sunday. We are trying to work with the residents, not in a confrontational mode, so that we can meet with them and come to an amicable solution,” Ghany said.

She said that public consultation was done via the media and flyers, prior to construction of the towers, to alert residents of the nature of the work that would take place. In outlining steps HCL was taking to alleviate residents’ concerns, Ghany said, “Since this project will run for three to four years, because of the wear and tear of the roads over that period, we have been refilling potholes and we will continue to repair whatever damage is done to the roads by our trucks. “To minimise the dust, we have been continually washing the streets. We have a water truck and pressure hose to do that and men with wheelbarrows and shovels to pick up the mud in the drains. We now have a water truck on the site so that when the wind blows we don’t have these big dust clouds.” She said that a ramp is currently being installed on the site which will allow trucks leaving the site to have their wheels washed so as to minimise dust contamination. The ramp will be completed by weekend.