Residents of Layou say they may resort to protest action if the authorities don’t address the problem of heavy fumes which they say are generated by a nearby asphalt plant.
According to residents on Friday morning, a “heavy fog” of fumes enveloped the area and they say this is not the first time.
“We have to engage in some sort of protest action and let our concerns be heard,” Lazare Charles, President of the Layou Improvement Committee, told Dominica News Online.
He said the matter has been a concern to residents since the plant was given the green light to set up shop in the area. “This is one of the things we have pointed out to physical planning when we had protested and told them that all those things would have happened and they said the EIA (Environmental Impact Accessment) was saying that would not happen,” Charles remarked.
He noted that the fog is even more prominent when asphalt is being produced. “It affects the entire village,” he said.
He pointed out that whenever this occurs villagers suffer from burning and itchy eyes and nostrils and burning throats.
This is not the first time the matter has been brought to the attention of the authorities. In October 2012, founding member of the Waitukubuli Ecological Foundation, Tyani Behanzin, expressed grave concern saying that Layou residents and workers at the plant were at risk.
Charles said a court case to have the plant removed from the area was thrown out on two occasions because of improper filing by lawyers. This, he said, after the lawyers were paid large sums of money. “The committee explored all legal avenues to see that the asphalt plant is moved from Layou and right now the asphalt plant is still there and it is up to the people to decide what are they doing,” he said.
He explained that one avenue that could be explored is taking the matter to court again on nuisance grounds. “On nuisance grounds we have to be able to produce evidence …you have to go to the doctor, the doctor have to give you a medical certificate and a whole lot of things,” Charles explained. “And we risk being sued based on the first case.”
On Friday morning Dominica News Online attempted to contact Chief Physical Planner, Annie Edwards, on the matter but was told that she was at a meeting.
What is happening to these people in Gov. they want the people of Layou to start falling down like dead flies with cancer and all kinds of sickness for them to start doing something. this is crazy.
??
why is this making news… layou people protested a long time ago about the plant before it started its operation and then skerrit went to layou and said it is fine and nothing will happen. AND LAYOU PEOPLE SAID NOTHING. WHY ARE YOU ALL CRYING?
i agree with that statement. that is rather disgusting whenever u pass by u must hold your breath or wind up ur windows that is soooooo sickening…. something must be done about that dear minister of health…..
Put the asphalt plant in vielle case.
“Asphalt fumes can cause serious injury and permanent damage”
(as per OSHA, a U.S. Govt. agency of the Dept.of Labour).
Asphalt is an oil derative, which releases PAH’s(polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), which can be carcinogenic i.e. cause cancer.
The type of crude oil from which it is made plays a crucial role. Heavy oil from Venezuela, for example is notorious for its high sulphur content and needs partticular attention in this regard.
Asphalt plants can be operated in relative safety provided stringent measures are in place to control in particular fume emissions. One thing that can not be mitigated, however is the odour , a noxiousd smell that causes irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract.
Since the term began the fumes from this plant have been affecting us at the Isaiah Thomas Secondary School to the point where some student were complaining of chest pains. I don’t know the politics of this situation and I am not from Layou, but omg how am I supposed to work effectively as a student with this fume?
Protest LAYOU; protest LAUDAT; who next?
Such a bunch of hypocrites you have a quarry close by what about the dust fumes and noise eminating from there.
There is a serious problem in Canada in the areas where the indegenous people live. The massive oilsands that even Obama talked about is poisoning everything and people catching cancer at an alarming rate. Didn’t the EIA approve the extraction process there as well?
Is this the same EIA that’s supposed to make a determination about the health and environmental effects of the proposed geothermal plant? If so how knowledgable and effective are they?
That is ridiculous, don’t they know that there are filters and recirculation equipment that minimize the pollution. But i Guess if u put a few dollars in some people back pocket they look the other way… admin stop blocking my post!!
If I am not mistaken there is an asphalt plant which is govt run closer to Roseau any itchy eyes, sore throats,reported. The issue here is that the one is layou is run by a foreigner.
You are misinformed. The old plant above the port was obsolete and has been out of commission for some time now. If I’m not mistaken the land was sold to Chinese interests. Two new plants were built. The one at Layou and another one, owned by Public Works at Anse Cola (Colihaut). The last one is underutilsed and its constructione, by an Indian supplier, was also started before an EIA was casrried out. We now have an overcapacity of asphalt production. if there are any poor practices it is not so much a matter of foreign ownership but our lack of oversight and enforcement of regulations.
dear IPO why wesley or marigot?????
out of the box, you make no sence!all that needs to be done is to relocate the plant or the village simple as that.nothing less!
I do not understand the Layou people, When they had the situation under raps some time ago the Minister showed them a white page saying it was an agreement between Gov,t and the asphalt people, they had nothing to worry about, They all put there tail in there behind drank there rum and party on roast chicken. Try walking on grass in the area when it is wet, your toes or shoes trun black. But that is the price you pay for when you give up your rights.
we protested d first time n guess wat? d improvement committee got their under cover deal now all of us in grass. what they belived only some would have got the fumes it good is for all of us its bad everybody in the village have to get it. investigate the improvement committee too much nonsense going on in the village
Unless the villagers decide to stop the asphalt Plant from spewing toxic, cancer-causing fumes, nobody will listen tp their just cries. Strange enough, the Minister of the Environment is aq medical doctor who knows the unhealthy, long-term effects on tyhe people of Layou. Gov’t knows. Planning Division knows. What EIA? The voices of villagers must be heard for changes to those madness, or else the suffering will continue.
The people in the villages, by your numbers, you could force that change for the good of your health, community, children, country. Massa days not done yet. Conserving, preserving our prestine environment is the last thing on Govt.’s mind. The $$$$$$$$$$/ personal quick wealth comes first. The total well-being of citizens come last.
if they are to relocate the plant, where could they put it? Layou people need to move from where they are before the river come down again
bande cor zor!
Are these people in Layou the constituents of Calver Daroux? Did the Parl rep drove through his constituency coming to work today? What is going to be Mr. Calver Daroux the labor party Parl Rep Legacy after he demits office?? And the answer is St. Joseph Constituency is the poorest in Dominica and the Layou community will be the most polluted in Dominica. Guess this is the best Calver Daroux the Labor Party Parliamentary Representative in the St. Joseph constituency can do for his constituency
sorry but i see the green before the smoke .nature isle.
But Dominicans not easy at all. Look at where the smoke is and where the houses are – miles apart yet anything to try and stop development.
Mamo had an asphalt plant facing the Port Authority along with a labass for almost 25 years and how many customs officers died to date or got sick as a result?
People of Laudat and environments, please pay close attention to what is happening in Layou. Please ensure that everything is properly done in your area also to ensure nothing like this happens to you
Simple soultion …The violence has already been inflicted on the residents in the area. Next 5 plus years lets listen fot the health effects for the folks in that area….what more violence and harm need to be done to the folks in that area? Solution BURN the plant down!!
Guys its your HEALTH!! The cout wont listen cause they not getting the cancer, they not coughing, they will not get lungs desease and the officials are PAID; Stop the asphalt and the toxic funes..BURn the dam plant down!!
When Tihanyi brought this to our attention last year, all sorts of political jabs were hurled at him.
Now that the crap has hit the fan, for real, we now want to view it from a different perspective.
Life and health are too precious and fragile for this matter to be handled so frivolously.
Folks of the Roseau Valley, look out for the long & short term effects. Ask for and obtain the
EIA,this (the EIA) is not private property, it is the nation’s property. Get it, read & digest it before it is oh too late.
What took you all so long.
Good now I can say you all are thinking
This shows the lack of concern the government has for the citizens.
Important issues which need to be addressed they are ignoring and focusing on searching Mr. Linton’s property.
I have said it before this government is not working for the people or will do nothing unless citizens PROTEST.
They have
Taking the matter to the court again is not an antidote to counteract the effects of the poisons
from the fumes of the asphalt plant. But that’s the only course of action we have at this time. Serious demonstration by every concerned citizen is a good start to vent our anger and let those
responsible know enough is enough.
This is evidence of a classic case of lies manufactured by EIA and lawyers who represent, not the best interest of the people’s health, but more money to their wealth.
Dominicans too wicked…..
Take wha all u get
I think the people’s plight in layou should be addressed as this impacts heavily on our “Nature Island”. I’m not against development but who in thier right mind builds a plant with heavy carbon emissions (and obviously an asphalt plant will have have heavy carbon emissions), in a populated civilian area?
This is a very serious problem…sometimes you can hardly see the bridge..it stinks and stings…..
Why does this not happen with the PW plant at Colihaut…something needs to be done…next thing Dominicans will be having babies like those in Central America.
I see that as a serious concern myself i pass through this area on a regular basis and what i see is not healthy to the residents ,whoever is responsible needs to do something before the situation gets worst.
You don’t have to be a scientist or an environmental expert to know that if residents of a community are made to inhale significant amounts of fumes on an ongoing basis, it will ultimately affect they healths. Why wait until they get sick (or worst, die) before you address the issue. The plant or the people needs relocating.
Forget relocate, close the plant. Dominica should have concrete roads..
That too requires unsightly batching plant with the dangers of the emission of cement dust and silicates from the aggregate and sand plus polluting slurry. Such operations should be carefully sited, in places that are screend away from population centres where the prevailing wind carries any harmful dust away, preferrably over the sea but more than anything good housekeeping should be practised and strict controls , enforced by severe penatlties put in place.
People of Layou please be aware that the green light to F …. Up your health and that of your children had been paid for. The evidence of the check paid is one of those holy grail items being prevented from reaching the courts. My dear people of Layou when you don’t stand up for your rights or stand against corruption the consequences can be deadly. If you dont stand up against the massive corruption of this government your children will suffer. To be blunt a check was paid to the account of the corrupt one through The Easy Door and that check is part of the reason why these corrupt politicians and their crooked lawyers are Machiavellians in keeping the truth away from the public.
Our people are simply failing our children and. Our try simply because we refuse to separate politics from truth,mjustice and sincerity. I have seen first hand health epidemics on communities because of self serving politicians, their greed and avarice.
There is this phrase in boxing ” the punches you don’t see are the ones that knock you out” people were able to almost taste and feel the dangerous emissions from the asphalt plant but from the time this plant went into operation the people of Layou and St Joseph have been under siege even when the toxic smog was not visible or even tasteable.
By the time the people and their children start showing severe signs of lung cancer and respiratory problems the politicians will be enjoying their empire; some of them in exile in French countries where they cannot be extradited.
I say all of this with a heavy heart knowing that people with the likes of peeping Tom will come in here to pull a blanket over the eyes of the people and that people will see my blog as political. I speak not because I am anti labor or pro opposition, I speak because I have worked international and traveled extensively and I have seen the hardcore effects of corruption.
I am so convinced that these politicians are corrupt.Now that the chicken is coming home to roost in Layou I ask that you ignore the politics and ask your government for the truth. To start ask for the 42 charges to be executed and then you will begin to see how much politicians care about you. The $50 bill they give you at and during campaign could not get you to the doorway of a doctor’s office.
Hunter conveniently avoided the hard line reality of the asphalt plant in his calypso nevertheless I will still use hs wit and state greed, corruption, recklessness, dictatorship and the silence of the benefactors and the nativity of the ignorance of the people is the asfault
Is not only the asphalt. The sand being dug there long before puts silicone dust in the air and into the lungs of people downwind, it is a tasteless odourless killer that suffocates its victims slowly. They were told but few listened and I doubt an EIA was ever carried out to assess the risks. Silcosis is incurable, ask Dr. Armour
The dominican government should just relocate the people of Layou and quarantine that area. This area is prone to disaster, I have no idea why people are still residing there. What they should really protest about is that river that continuously sweeps through the area causing mass destruction. I think Layou is a perfect place for any industrial activity that should not be done in civilized areas.
You, my friend, have just earned the title of “Complete imbecile”
Agreed, Them people aren’t ready for friggin development!
Wow, thats bad. Something really needs to be done.
After reading this I went online and did a simple search on asphalt and it shows the bad effect this can have on both humans and animals alike.Do something about this issue ASAP!!!!People’s lives are at stake here!
come one people do something the fumes thats not heatlty for the residents.
I think the plant should be relocated.
Relacate it to roseau …why layou…or even jimmit
Relocate the plant next to Skerit and his legal henchmen’s homes.
Westay la cwon couyons ….. rely on the Kangaroo Court stilll…. zor kay sav.
Westay la cwoun couyons ….. rely on Kangaro Court still ….
Are the residents of Layou serious.During the last election campaign, it would appear that they only went to the meetings for de rum and de party,today,they are complaining, ever want to resort to protest action.Personally,I believe they have brought the problems on themselves. Last year they had an opportunity to close down the plant and they allowed promises,lies, rum and de party to stand in their way.The residents are once again given another opportunity to put the wrong right,Dominicans are hoping they put their interest first.
The sad reality is that this is not only a Layou issue. The entire environment is at stake…
protest!!
and yet the government does nothing…this is one of the cases in which we need intervention from them…it’s like the country is the NATURE ISLE on paper but in reality we are becoming the isle of pollution! #TRMS..this rubbish must stop
I feel for the Layou residents, because I know what we experienced on the port a few years ago because of the asphalt plant above the port.
Lazare Charles, President of the Layou Improvement Committee, TAKE ACTION….Dont speak no further seek a solution..An Asphalt plant in that area is damming…..
Since the government is turning a blind eye… its time for the residents and the rest of Dominicans to take matters into their own hands… burn that plant down…
what else did you guys expect.on the international scale. china is considered one of the worse polluters int he world, why would u expect any different in Dominica when the one that should care don’t concern them self with safety standards.
fast track to be like china
Not happy about these fumes. I have repeatedly ask to move this plant to Marigot or Wesley or even Roseau.
Why our village…put it in Salisbury or canefield
wtf salisbury …ou malad en tete ou t’mal
So where should they put it? Salisbury has a lot of waste land…or maybe mahaut? It has to go some where
IPO be honest. Is it possible that there are some in the village who’s silence was bought?
to marigot or Wesley? you must be kidding, well let them try.Layou people did not say anything at the beginning, but let the try wesley or marigot and you will see trouble
Put it in vielle case.
Marigot and Salisbury not in allyou story. Don’t you all see that is those labor party constituencies that suffering? They prayed for change and they getting it. Leave Roseau, Salisbury and Marigot out of it please
I am not sure but we have been experiencing high wind gust this January.
Maybe residents should monitor this in a more scientific way and document the daily weather reports and the days when asphalt is reheated for road development.
There is probably the need for the asphalt plant owners and the residents of the community to come together and agree on a schedule for the processing of the asphalt.
It would be a good thing if the asphalt plant owners could have radio announcements on all three radio stations and online newspapers indicating the dates and times of operations and asking residents to take all practical and necessary health cautions and apologize for the any inconvenience caused as a result.
That way the plant owners can make available for the residents dust masks, and coverings for their furniture, clothing and non-canned perishable food items.
Thats what you all will keep on getting.Skerrit got all his millions now you all are sucking salt.Lots more to come,asphalt fme is very toxic where is you all god skerro now.Skerro laughing now.
– would Gaddarkhan be allowed to operate this plant under the exact same conditions in Guadeloupe (i.e. France)?
– why was the EIA for this plant submitted and approved after it was already constructed?
– are the French experts, who composed the EIA for this plant on behalf of Gaddarkhan, the same people, who also produced the EIA for the geothermal project?
– why is it still in operation when central planning told us in March of 2010 that they had only given them a temporary license for two years?
– who is monitoring the plant with regard to environment, safe practices and public health?
The argument that we are against development if people express their concerns or ask questions is wearing mightely thin and I would submit that, on the contrary in any developed country such questions would be raised and addressed.
Ummm – actually, wasn’t there supposed to be a committee comprised of Layou residents, gov’t ministers and others who were to meet monthly to keep a pulse on the plant’s operations? What happened to that committee? Was it just an empty promise by Min. Darroux?
why cant they put it In pointe michelle or grandbay…why layou
Because Grandbay already has the police station meant to oppress the people further. Did they really think the PM meant them well and thought enough of them to put a technical college there? Really? Face it, he doesn’t care about Grandbay, Layou, anywhere that doesn’t have a dollar sign on it…why not, his hometown as a site?
The answer to your question is right on the desk of the judicial authority. The reluctance to charge the lawyer that was handling the bribe money.