Environmental rules are being reinforced by Government agencies since T&T’s industrialisation thrust continues to negatively affect the country, says Environment Minister Ganga Singh. In a statement to the Senate yesterday on today’s World Environment Day, Singh said this year’s theme was Think, Eat, Save. It was aimed at slashing food waste and loss in the food supply chain, and encouraging awareness of the environmental impact of people’s food choices.
Singh said food price inflation fell to 9.4 per cent in April following agricultural sector initiatives, according to Central Statistical Office data. However, he said, the discharge of effluents from local industries and the improper disposal of refuse and waste was degrading rivers and streams. “Air pollution is a major environmental problem as it occurs in most areas of T&T, especially in more densely populated communities,” he said.
To address that, Singh said, the ministry’s regulatory arm, the Environmental Management Authority (EMA), had continued to issue registration certificates and water pollution permits under the Water Pollution Rules with a view to better monitoring effluent discharge into the waterways. “The ultimate objective of this piece of legislation is to protect the integrity of T&T’s supply of drinking water and water resources,” he added.
EMA has begun to review its legislation to ensure more efficient and effective enforcement. New legislation also was being finalised, Singh added. That included the development of ambient water quality standards, air quality rules and solid waste rules. He said solid waste disposal required critical attention. Regulations were being finalised for the beverage containers legislation, which proposed a deposit refund system to treat with the waste from that source and which could also stimulate many downstream waste industries, he said.
Singh said indiscriminate dumping of solid waste could lead to flooding. The minister said his ministry’s Drainage Division had completed 30 flood-mitigation projects with several more ongoing, also was upgrading drainage channels and the ministry was engaging the IDB for funding to alleviate Port-of-Spain’s drainage problems.
He added: “There is need for a new paradigm shift in environmental policy and management thinking. I have commissioned the start of a national environmental risk assessment study and the development of protocols and also mandated the commissioning of baseline studies.” Singh said the ministry was undertaking a project to reduce and phase out the use of ozone-depleting substances, such as hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), methyl bromide and other similar substances that polluted the air.
WASA is refurbishing several wastewater treatment plants, via a US$546.5 million IDB loan, to build plants in Malabar and San Fernando. The Priority Bus Route would also have a “greening” programme with solar-powered lights, electric buses and fitting of buses and red band maxis with compressed natural gas engines.