By Roy Sanford, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
THE NATIONAL Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) is to launch an investigation to ascertain why fish are dying in large numbers in the Dutch Canal in Westmoreland.
"We will be taking analysis and we will be looking into what the causes might be," Zadie Neufville of the agency's communication department told The Gleaner. "At present all we can say is that the problem is a mystery."
The matter became public knowledge when a Gleaner news team visited the area and a large number of fish, in various stages of decomposition, was seen in the canal. Some fishermen in the area blamed the Frome Sugar Factory for the fish kill.
However, acting operation manager of the factory, Aston Smith dismissed the allegations and said the occurrence had nothing to do with the factory.
"We unequivocally deny that this had something to do with the factory," he told The Gleaner yesterday (Monday). According to Mr. Smith, the water appears black in colour whenever there is effluent present and at the time of the occurrence the water was clean. "To my knowledge the water was clean," he stated.
Lawrence Atland, a fisherman who has been fishing in the canal for ten years, said the event occurs every year. "Every year the same thing happens," Lawrence Atland said. "Them (the factory) just let out the 'dunder' into the canal and kill thousands of fish. Over the years we the fishermen of Big Bridge have brought the matter to the attention of the various environmental agencies and the estate but nothing tangible has been done about it."
Mr. Smith conceded that at the beginning of the production cycle some fish do die in the canal but not on a large scale. "Whenever we wash the cane at the beginning of the production cycle some amount of sugar and mud get into the water lowering the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) and some fish die but it is not on a large scale," he pointed out.
He added that the factory has put in place several measures to reduce the flow of effluent into the canal further reducing the incidents of environmental damage. Among some of the measures are the recent installation of a new state-of-the-art boiler, the dredging of the canal and the construction of a settling pond for solid waste.
"We do what is best to reduce environmental damage," he said.
Miss Neufville said that, unless a thorough investigation is done, it would be difficult to pinpoint the root of the problem.
When asked about probable causes of the problem she said that it could be the result of decreased oxygen in the water, chemicals, fermentation or acid from decomposing sugar cane waste.
"There is a possibility of fermentation because of the cane material," she explained. "Or there is a possibility that chemicals used for washing the cane is washed out into the canal. Plus the possibility exists that acid from decomposing cane material is to be blamed."
She made it clear however that she was merely speculating and stressed that she was not blaming the fish kill on the Frome Sugar Factory. "We will not know what is the cause of the problem until we investigate," she said.
