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Where do you stand on Carisal, Roberts?
Published:
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
I saw Sports Minister Anil Roberts on television not too long ago criticising COP leader Prakash Ramadhar for threatening to walk away from the People’s Partnership. Roberts also stated that he would only walk away from the Government if it decided to “bring back the smelter.” He was a very vocal critic of the smelter project and he used his radio programme to attack the Manning administration for promoting the project because it would cause cancer and destroy the surrounding communities. I am very pleased to see that the minister has not forgotten his anti-smelter days and that he is pre- pared to walk away if such a project returns.
With this in mind I would like to tell Roberts that there is a project that his Government is promoting that is even worse than the smelter. I am referring to the Cari-sal chemical plant that is being built in Savonetta. Already there have been strong protests in the community against this project and residents even presented a petition to the Prime Minister. They are also threatening to campaign against the Government if the Carisal project continues. According to environmental activist Dr Wayne Kubalsingh, the plant “is going to put the people of Savonetta at risk for the next 40 years and the atmosphere will be loaded with chemicals and there will be a high risk of lung-related problems. Roberts has a reputation for being frank and outspoken and the public is anxious to hear his views on the Carisal project. Will he stand up against it as he did with the smelter or will he ignore the protests in the community and preserve his position in the Government?
V Balkissoon
Port-of-Spain
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