Appointment of Advisory Committee for The Establishment of a National Building Code
MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND THE ENVIRONMENT
#44-46 South Quay, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, West Indies, P.O. Box 834
Telephone: (868) 623 4663 Fax: (868) 625 2793
April 04, 2012
MEDIA RELEASE
Appointment of Advisory Committee for The
Establishment of a National Building Code
Minister of Housing and the Environment, Dr. the Honourable Roodal Moonilal, together with the Minister of Planning and the Economy, Dr. the Honourable Bhoendradath Tewarie,
presented Letters of Appointment to Members of the National Building Code Advisory Committee. The event took place at 9:00 am on Wednesday 04 April, 2012 at the Conference Room, Ministry of Housing and the Environment, South Quay, Port of Spain.
The establishmentof the Advisory Committee has come after rounds of discussions with individuals and interest groups, who for the past 40 years have been clamoring for a commitment by successive governments to develop National Building Codes for Trinidad and Tobago.
Minister Moonilal having lent his support towards this effort noted that the Advisory Committee has been mandated to develop legislative measures which would ensure strict adherence to best practice guidelines in the design, construction and occupancy of buildings in Trinidad and Tobago with the aim of protecting public health and safety, as well reduce Trinidad and Tobago’s vulnerability to natural disasters.
The Committee comprises of nineteen professionals from various disciplines who have been selected based on their range of competencies and stakeholder representations and will be chaired by Mr.
Shyankaran Lalla, whose background is in civil engineering.
The Ministers are confident that this group can and will deliver on the mammoth task before them and do so in the best interest of the national community. Dr. Moonilal concluded his address by reiterating his support and commitment to this initiative.
END –
Elton Wickham
Director Corporate Communications
Quarries Under 150 Acres Returned To The CEC Process Under The Jurisdiction of The EMA
QUARRIES UNDER 150 ACRES RETURNED TO THE CEC PROCESS UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE EMA
Minister of Housing and the Environment signing The Certificate of Environmental Clearance
(Designated Activities) (Amendment) Order 2012
Front row - L to R - Hon. Kevin Ramnarine, Minister of Energy & Energy Affairs, Hon. Dr. Moonilal, Minister of Housing & the Environment, Kevin Ramnath, Chairman EMA,
Back row - L to R - Dr. Judith Gobin, Chairman Asa Wright Nature Centre, Mitra Ramkhelawan, Chairman National Quarries Co. Ltd., Dr Joth Singh CEO, EMA, Mrs. Angela Renaud-Lewis, Head, Legal Services Unit
Port of Spain, March 19, 2012: Housing and Environment Minister, Dr. the Honourable Roodal Moonilal hosted a round-table meeting at the HYATT Regency, with the Minister of Energy and Energy Affairs, representatives of the Environmental Management Authority, National Quarries Company Ltd., Asa Wright Nature Centre, the Council of Presidents for the Environment and other key stakeholders, to resolve issues related to quarrying in the proximity of the Asa Wright Nature Centre, Arima.
During the meeting, Minister Moonilal reminded all stakeholders that although they each represented different areas of interest, together they shared one goal: “to improve the sustainability of the environment of Trinidad and Tobago.” He also highlighted Government’s continued efforts to encourage dialogue in a transparent manner with all its stakeholders, as it pursues opportunities for waste, energy, recycling, solar energy mainstreaming, water efficiency and greening.
The Minister noted the challenge faced in balancing the need for aggregate required for development projects and the fundamental rights of citizens in ensuring that our environment is healthy while ensuring its preservation for future generations.
In recent weeks, environmental issues were raised via a statement by the Asa Wright Nature Centre regarding quarrying in the Arima Valley; issues adopted by many community groups, activists and concerned citizens, all calling for the continuity of our national heritage. This resulted in the Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs, on March 13, 2012, mandating National Quarries to suspend their operations in Verdant Vale Valley on the northern side of the Asa Wright facility.
One week later, on March 19, 2012, Minister Moonilal signed the Ministerial Order to have quarries under 150 acres, returned to the Certificate of Environmental Clearance (CEC) process under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Housing and the Environment – Environmental Management Authority (EMA), after careful consideration of the policies and legislation governing Trinidad and Tobago’s natural environment. This brings all quarrying operations within the CEC process and under the jurisdiction of the EMA.
The National Environmental Policy states among other things that “Government will enforce rehabilitation programmes by operators at mining sites; regulate mining activities in environmentally sensitive areas and establish and enforce pollution reduction and control for extractive industries, so as to protect the quality of water, land and air.”
Additionally, via Subsidiary Legislation under the Environment Management Act – The CEC Rules - which were effective in May 2001, quarry operators were mandated by law to apply for a CEC before commencing works. In some cases an Environmental Impact Assessment was required, so that the environmental impacts would be ascertained and management plans, to minimize these impacts, would have to be committed to by the operator.
The two specific activities in the CEC Designated Activities Order governing quarries were:
- Activity 8, which spoke to the clearing, excavation and grading, and land and land filling and;
- Activity 23, which dealt with establishment of facilities for mining and processing.
The amendment of these two activities in 2007 and 2008 respectively, allowed the CEC process to regulate only quarries that exceeded 150 acres and land clearing activities for non-mining purposes, which according to Dr. Moonilal, now leaves Government with “economic and social cost of increased flooding from denuded hillsides, increasing urgency to rehabilitate decimated forests and large development projects that are not contributing any major returns to our GDP.”
Minister Moonilal indicated that since the reinstatement of quarries, of 150 acres and below, into the CEC Rules cannot be retroactive, the Government will seek to ensure quarries established from 2007 to date, operate under best environmental practices. The Minister said “to partially address this issue, I have asked the EMA to implement the Water Pollution Rules to the full extent of the law and it is my intent to see the passage of the Air Pollution Rules in the very near future to also provide options to the EMA for ensuring that quarries without CECs operate in an environmentally responsible manner.”
Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Management Authority, Dr. Joth Singh, congratulated the Honourable Minister and other stakeholders for speaking out on the issue of quarrying. He noted that while the EMA understands the collaborative approach necessary for addressing the various interests of the sector, of paramount importance is “the institution of proper zoning and land use plans to ensure that sensitive areas are not used for quarrying.” He said “the EMA’s mandate is ensuring sustainable development of this country and as such we recognize that the need is for a more balanced approach with respect to development projects, understanding that aggregate must be supplied, but also making certain that this supply does not detrimentally affect the environment.
The Ministry of Housing and the Environment assures the national community that it will continue to facilitate stakeholder dialogue, in a transparent manner, with the relevant authorities on this issue, to arrive at the best possible solution for a better Trinidad and Tobago.
World Forestry Day Message
EMA Urges Quarry Operators in Arima Valley to Engage in Responsible Corporate Practices
MEDIA RELEASE
EMA Urges Quarry Operators in Arima Valley to Engage in Responsible Corporate Practices
"The EMA has been receiving numerous calls, queries and e-mails via its offices, website and social media sites with respect to the concerns expressed by Asa Wright Nature Centre and the national community regarding quarrying operations in the Arima Valley," said Managing Director/CEO of the EMA, Dr. Joth Singh. Dr. Singh also noted that he has engaged in discussions with both the Chairman of the EMA, Mr. Kelvin Ramnath and Minister of Housing and Environment, Dr. Roodal Moonilal, regarding the issue, especially since quarries less than 150 acres were removed from the EMA’s purview by the previous administration.
He said that the Minister and the EMA’s Chairman agree that the integrity of the Valley must be maintained since it has well been established that the quarrying sector significantly impacts on the natural environment. Energy and Energy Affairs Minister, Kevin Ramnarine also recently visited the Asa Wright
Dr. Singh explained the relationship that currently exists between the EMA and the Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs with respect to quarries, "The responsibility of granting and renewing of quarry operational licenses falls under the Ministry of Energy. In the past, the Ministry would consider other permits required, such as a CEC. However, since quarries less than 150 acres were removed in 2007/2008 from the CEC process, they no longer require permission from the EMA to establish, modify, expand or decommission a quarry of the specified size. Additionally, the EMA currently does not have the jurisdiction to monitor their operations."
Dr. Singh went on to say that while there is an opportunity for the EMA to intervene under the Water Pollution Rules (WPR), the Rules are limited in its impact and does not influence the critical environmental issues associated with quarrying. He also expressed that the EMA is very anxious to have quarries of all sizes returned to its jurisdiction.
The quarry site receiving the recent media attention is located in the Verdant Vale Valley, and is State Land licensed for operation to National Quarries Ltd. Various sections have been operational since the 1950s, predating any legislation under the Environmental Management Act. However, quarrying operations have now commenced on the ridge facing the Asa Wright Nature Centre. While National Quarries Ltd. is still within the physical boundaries of what is approved in their license, the expansion of operations to this area is resulting in unacceptable impacts on interest groups such as Asa Wright.
The EMA understands that in order for Trinidad and Tobago to develop, aggregate has to be sourced, but is also promoting that aggregate should be acquired without the creation of dramatic scars on the natural environment and without affecting our ecological integrity. According to Dr. Singh "Dr. Moonilal stated that the intention of Government is to return quarries to the CEC process. In the interim the EMA is urging National Quarries Ltd’s operations in the Arima Valley to practice corporate social responsibility and so avoid detrimental environmental impacts to the communities in which they operate."
He also advised that the Board of Directors of the EMA is also in support of quarries returning to the CEC process and is also urging National Quarries Ltd to ensure that their operations have minimal affect on tourism operators such as Asa Wright Nature Centre and the intricate ecosystems existing in the Arima Valley, especially in light of the focus on sustainable development by the Government.
Dr. Singh noted that this issue received national attention through the collaborative efforts of traditional and social media, communities, Asa Wright officials, advocacy groups, students and concerned citizens. He commented "This lobby undertaken by the various groups on this issue provides valuable lessons in how effective and responsible advocacy could lead to real solutions."
EMA Corrects flawed newspaper report on National Quarries' CEC Application
