WESTERN BUREAU:
ALUMINA PARTNERS of Jamaica (Alpart) executives yesterday appeared confident of a truce in their dispute with the residents of Stephen's Run over the level and type of compensation the company was willing to pay for damage caused by its dust emissions.
"We had a meeting today and resolved certain issues and we hope that good sense will prevail for the sake of everyone," said Lance Neita, the company's spokesman.
Mr. Neita said the issues which were resolved in yesterday's meeting, were namely, a resolution on Alpart's part to stagger the water it supplied to the communities near its plant so everyone could benefit and an undertaking to conduct a routine investigation, for compensation purposes, into the community's latest complaint that its dust had damaged their crops.
"What was happening was that Stephen's Run was not getting any water since it was connected to the end of the main and the pressure had been depleted by other residents who set up illegal connections to the pipe. The usual investigation will be conducted in order to work out the compensation for crops," he said.
Residents of Stephen's Run staged two demonstrations last week over what they perceived was the company's unwillingness to play fair on the issue of compensation for the dust emitted from its bauxite plant.
Their demonstrations, which took place on the train line used by the company to transport bauxite, disrupted its production schedule and caused general manager Ray Gendron to announce he would be forced to close a section of the plant if the demonstrations continued.
Raymond Barnes, the representative of the residents of Stephen's Run said yesterday there would be no more demonstrations if Alpart kept the promises made by its executives in yesterday's meeting.
"We expect to get water in the lines in 10-14 days as they say they are sending out technicians today to check the lines to ensure they are in a condition for water to be pumped through them," said Barnes.
Barnes said he was also expecting the company to speed up its future response to their complaints and the level of compensation it currently paid to the residents for damage caused by dust.
"If they keep their promises then there will not be any demonstrations but if this dialogue does not bring any results we will have to take further action ... whatever it takes," he said.
