By Angelo Laurence, Gleaner Writer
Work in progress at Windalco's bauxite and alumina plant in Manchester. - File
MANDEVILLE, Manchester:
FOR YEARS residents of Williamsfield, Grove Place, Hanbury and New Green, Manchester, have suffered from dust and noise pollution generated by the mining activities of Alcan, now Windalco, at its Kirkvine plant.
When Alcan sold the plant three years ago, residents said they hoped remedies to control the problem would be instituted. They can now breathe a sigh of relief as the company which is owned by the Swiss-based Glencore Ltd. has been moving to put systems in place to make their lives better.
This according to communications officer at Windalco, Kayon Wallace who told The Gleaner that the complaints of the residents are taken 'seriously' by the company. "We have several programmes on stream" to deal with any complaints the residents may have, she said, while admitting that "maybe they need to be more publicised."
Glendon Johnson, Windalco's public relations manager, in responding to allegations by some residents that the company is unconcerned about their complaints, indicated that there are persons within the various communities surrounding the plant who are misinformed as to what the company is doing.
COMMUNITY PROJECTS
He said, so far, Windalco has spent more than $10.9 million on community projects to improve their environment and economic productivity. According to Mr. Johnson, the company recognises that the 50-year-old plant is part of the community and cannot be sustainable without the residents.
The company has put in place mechanisms to deal with health-related complaints and is currently conducting a house-to-house investigation of the effects its operations and the planned expansion have and could have on the residents, Mr. Johnson said. As part of its concern for the residents, Windalco has also put on stream a team of technocrats to monitor the water table and air to ensure that the water table is not being polluted and that the air is safe for the residents to breathe. Its findings are forwarded to the Jamaica Bauxite Institute, the Government agency, which has oversight responsibility for the industry.
The general manager for Windalco, Michael Collins, also told The Gleaner that he as well as his management team take the health and safety of the residents 'very serious' and will honour its responsibility to be a good corporate citizen.
In the meantime, the company is embarking on a safety campaign to educate both the public and its employees on safety and the protection of the environment, which will include an open day at several of its operation sites.
