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Environmentalists Prof Julian Kenny and Mark Meredith are calling for the quarrying activities, in the Arima Valley which surrounds the Asa Wright Nature Centre, to be stopped.
Both were commenting on last Monday's Eye on the Environment column titled 'Nature centre faces quarrying threat' which reported that National Quarries has a contract with Government to destroy 10 acres of land over the next three years in that area.
The Express again contacted the National Quarries but was unsuccessful in obtaining a comment on the issue.
Prof Kenny says there is no sustainable approach to quarrying as previously indicated by Dr Carol James who sits on the Centre's board.
She had said: "I met with the general manager of National Quarries and I think we can work as partners on it. The scar we see from the Asa Wright verandah, we are hoping to re-vegetate that area. Monitoring stations are going to be set up to monitor the noise and we've been invited to look at blasting on the quarry and the impacts of their quarrying.
"We really have to work in partnership because Asa Wright is not about stopping development. We are about working in harmony so that we have a sustainable approach."
But Prof Kenny commented: "Once you start mining limestone rock you produce an environment where you can't produce anything. Quarrying in the Northern Range is all over now, in Diego Martin, Santa Cruz, Maracas Valley and Arima Valley.
"Once you allow quarrying to take place all over the country it is going to make Trinidad look like the back of a mingy dog and we are going to pay for it in the long term. When you disperse your quarrying activity all over the country you run a risk of spoiling everything. Enough damage has been done already."
He has two alternative suggestions for Government. The first is the re-opening of the quarry in Point Gourde located in the North West of Trinidad.
"Point Gourde is the largest single deposit of limestone in the country," Prof Kenny explained.
"There is no human habitation there. What it does have, is a fine example of tropical dry forest. You will lose less if you have one national quarry there and stop all the other quarrying in the Northern Range."
The second suggestion by Prof Kenny is to have an agreement with neighbouring Guyana.
"Guyana has immense resources of that kind which we can purchase," he added.
"It will cost some money but it will be sustainable in the long run.
"It's a position that I have reflected on for a very long time. But in the long term if you look a various possibilities it might be the only sustainable thing."
And Meredith, who is in Auckland, New Zealand, wrote to the Express: "Asa Wright is one of Trinidad and Tobago's greatest assets, a world famous attraction that draws flocks of ornithologist and keen birders from around the world to sit at its balcony and gaze with incredulity and delight at the magnificent avian spectacle spread before them.
"To think that the EMA and the Tourist Development Co can even countenance the possibility of allowing National Quarries to rape the surrounding environment, compromising the oilbird colony and this world class facility with dust, deforestation and dynamite beggars belief.
"I've news for Asa Wright director Carol James, who is probably keeping her powder dry and trying not to antagonise National Quarries - in Trinidad and Tobago there is no such thing as "working in harmony'', or "a sustainable approach'', especially when it comes to quarrying. What is happening has nothing to do with "development''. It is vandalism. It must be stopped immediately.
"The chickens, rather than the oil birds, are coming home to roost. As Prof Julian Kenny has warned, and I too in this space last year, that when the Government unilaterally abolished the requirement of a Certificate of Environmental Clearance for quarrying we will pay the price. How tragic, how true."
NOW EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL IN T&T IS BEING AFFECTED DOWN TO THE NATURE CENTRE AS WELL..WHAT WILL BE THE OUTCOME OF OUR BEAUTIFUL TRINI NEX FEW YEARS??
Both were commenting on last Monday's Eye on the Environment column titled 'Nature centre faces quarrying threat' which reported that National Quarries has a contract with Government to destroy 10 acres of land over the next three years in that area.
The Express again contacted the National Quarries but was unsuccessful in obtaining a comment on the issue.
Prof Kenny says there is no sustainable approach to quarrying as previously indicated by Dr Carol James who sits on the Centre's board.
She had said: "I met with the general manager of National Quarries and I think we can work as partners on it. The scar we see from the Asa Wright verandah, we are hoping to re-vegetate that area. Monitoring stations are going to be set up to monitor the noise and we've been invited to look at blasting on the quarry and the impacts of their quarrying.
"We really have to work in partnership because Asa Wright is not about stopping development. We are about working in harmony so that we have a sustainable approach."
But Prof Kenny commented: "Once you start mining limestone rock you produce an environment where you can't produce anything. Quarrying in the Northern Range is all over now, in Diego Martin, Santa Cruz, Maracas Valley and Arima Valley.
"Once you allow quarrying to take place all over the country it is going to make Trinidad look like the back of a mingy dog and we are going to pay for it in the long term. When you disperse your quarrying activity all over the country you run a risk of spoiling everything. Enough damage has been done already."
He has two alternative suggestions for Government. The first is the re-opening of the quarry in Point Gourde located in the North West of Trinidad.
"Point Gourde is the largest single deposit of limestone in the country," Prof Kenny explained.
"There is no human habitation there. What it does have, is a fine example of tropical dry forest. You will lose less if you have one national quarry there and stop all the other quarrying in the Northern Range."
The second suggestion by Prof Kenny is to have an agreement with neighbouring Guyana.
"Guyana has immense resources of that kind which we can purchase," he added.
"It will cost some money but it will be sustainable in the long run.
"It's a position that I have reflected on for a very long time. But in the long term if you look a various possibilities it might be the only sustainable thing."
And Meredith, who is in Auckland, New Zealand, wrote to the Express: "Asa Wright is one of Trinidad and Tobago's greatest assets, a world famous attraction that draws flocks of ornithologist and keen birders from around the world to sit at its balcony and gaze with incredulity and delight at the magnificent avian spectacle spread before them.
"To think that the EMA and the Tourist Development Co can even countenance the possibility of allowing National Quarries to rape the surrounding environment, compromising the oilbird colony and this world class facility with dust, deforestation and dynamite beggars belief.
"I've news for Asa Wright director Carol James, who is probably keeping her powder dry and trying not to antagonise National Quarries - in Trinidad and Tobago there is no such thing as "working in harmony'', or "a sustainable approach'', especially when it comes to quarrying. What is happening has nothing to do with "development''. It is vandalism. It must be stopped immediately.
"The chickens, rather than the oil birds, are coming home to roost. As Prof Julian Kenny has warned, and I too in this space last year, that when the Government unilaterally abolished the requirement of a Certificate of Environmental Clearance for quarrying we will pay the price. How tragic, how true."
NOW EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL IN T&T IS BEING AFFECTED DOWN TO THE NATURE CENTRE AS WELL..WHAT WILL BE THE OUTCOME OF OUR BEAUTIFUL TRINI NEX FEW YEARS??
