NEC withdraws Chatham smelter application

Beckles, who answered questions on the matter at yesterday’s post-Cabinet media briefing at Whitehall, said the NEC was entitled to apply for a CEC for another location, but had not done so as yet. Asked how the Government was handling the conflict between ALCOA’s plans to set up two smelters in TT, and protests by citizens, she said the law mandates the Environmental Management Authority to take views of the public into consideration before any certificate is granted. “The fact that citizens are protesting brings to the attention of the Government and the general public what their views are,” she said.

Beckles said concerns about pollution from the smelters are genuine, and could not be ignored by Government.

“But we also know that there are plants that exist in the world that are environmentally friendly,” she noted.

Recalling that she laid the revised National Environmental Policy in Parliament only last week, Beckles said the last policy in 1998 did not cater for the new energy sector projects in which Government is now involved.