No EMA clearance yet for Alutrint

A small victory, no? Enviro experts, I was told that the EMA stipulations are that once your supplementary report is refused you have to begin the entire EIA/CEC process again? Is this so? And interesting that this was not made a big fuss of in the media...

Trinidad Guardian
October 17, 2006


Alutrint will not be granted a certificate of environmental clearance until it answers all the questions outlined by the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) in its deficiency report submitted to the company.

Yesterday, the EMA was supposed to make its decision on an environmental impact assessment (EIA) submitted by Alutrint, but it was postponed.

Alicia Charles, communication manager of the EMA, said no decision had been made because the supplementary report is inefficient.

Alutrint submitted an EIA report to the EMA on February 2 for the construction of a 125,000 metric tonne aluminium smelter at Cap-de-Ville.

The EMA’s review and assessment report was sent to Alutrint noting several deficiencies:

• maps not drawn to scale;

• lack of consultation with a relevant stakeholder;

• mitigation measures regarding noise and air emissions; and,

• issues that pertain to the disposal of hazardous waste.