- Contributed
One of the chimneys in which an ash arrester has been installed.
Howard Walker, Staff Reporter
RESIDENTS OF communities in Greater Portmore and Spanish Town, St. Catherine who have been choking from soot from the processing of sugar cane at nearby factories, should soon be able to breathe easier.
The Sugar Company of Jamaica has installed two ash arresters into its chimneys to address the problem of the wind-blown soot which has been affecting these communities. Four others are to be installed.
But the sceptical members are not jumping for joy, preferring to wait and see, because they say, many promises have been made to them in the past yet the problems remained. They have staged demonstrations and even turned to the Public Defender, Howard Hamilton to have the matter rectified.
However, an assurance has come from John Gayle, Operations Manager of The Bernard Lodge Division of the Sugar Company of Jamaica (SCJ) that there should be no more soot in the communities.
"SCJ has a corporate responsibility to its neighbours and a practical approach is being taken to correct the problem," said Mr. Gayle, noting that the remaining four Ash Arresters will be installed prior to the start of the 2004 crop which begins in January.
According to Mr. Gayle, this initiative is part of the upgrading and maintenance work that is done annually by the Sugar Company. It will cost US$135,000 to purchase and install the six Ash Arresters.
"These steps have become necessary as housing developments have now been established in close proximity to the factory and every effort is being made to attend to the welfare of the residents, many of whom are also employees," he said.
Mr. Gayle explained that without the Ash Arrester particles from the burned bagasse would escape from the chimney. The Ash Arrester reduces the amount of debris and emission significantly, so that all the particles should return to the boiler for complete burning.
Mr. Gayle met with Mr. Hamilton recently and updated him on the progress being made to eliminate the problem we had a complaint from the residents and the Public Defender took it up and investigated it," said Yvette Brown, Deputy Public Defender.
"They say they are trying to rectify the problem and that approximately $30 million was invested in a project to minimise the emission of the ash from the boilers," she noted.
"That project includes engineering and factory maintenance to improve the efficiency of the borders which are the source of the problems," she said. But residents of Portmore and Spanish Town are sceptical because they say they have heard this promise so many times before. One person who has been at the forefront in the struggle against this health hazard is Mayor George Lee who thinks it is full time something be done.
ACTION
"While I welcome the promise, I want to see some action. Promises have been given before and the people are still suffering," said the man who led the last year's demonstration as then councillor in which a firm promise was made to rectify the problem. In 1998, George Lee, the then President of the Portmore Joint Citizens' Association said the matter was reported to the Ministry of Health. In 2003, five years later and now the first Mayor of Portmore, Lee once again says the matter has been referred to the Ministry of Health and this time he hopes to get positive result.
Heather Wallen-Bryan president of the Portmore Joint Council acknowledged that "once they are doing something to alleviate the problem that's good enough."
Residents have for years being complaining about the ash nuisance which poses a real health hazard mainly, respiratory problems.
In 1998 John Gayle had promised that his company was putting in place measures to reduce the inevitable soot problem resulting from the burning of the cane. Mr. Gayle is assuring residents of the affected communities that the "SCJ is willing to go the extra mile to eliminate the problem of windblown soot."
