News

Oct 31, 2024

Noise, Dust, and Safety: Minister Outlines Measures for Concrete Plant

Asphalt, which was removed from the old E.T. Joshua airport runway and is currently being stored in Roseau, is expected to be temporary. This was disclosed by Finance Minister Camilo Gonsalves during

Asphalt, which was removed from the old E.T. Joshua airport runway and is currently being stored in Roseau, is expected to be temporary. This was disclosed by Finance Minister Camilo Gonsalves during Thursday’s sitting of parliament.

“It is not intended to be a long-term storage solution for this asphalt. Based on my limited understanding of this asphalt, applying heat effectively transforms it into a hot mix, which BRAGSA plans to utilize quickly. So I don’t think that it will be a lasting problem.”

On the issue of housing for foreign workers, the government has expressed its reservations about housing on the tarmac.

Minister Gonsalves stated that the contractor has indicated a desire to find alternative locations to accommodate as many workers as possible, but the current situation is challenging for them.

Gonsalves, while making his presentation, stated that there are three major environmental concerns with the concrete batching plant.

“There are three major environmental concerns related to the concrete batching plant. Number one concern is noise. Concern number two is dust. The third concern pertains to the potential hazards associated with transporting concrete from the southern end of the runway, past the schools, to the northern end of the runway”.

“An entire study was done, an environmental impact assessment for the plant and the contractor have indicated that the noise will not be an issue, it will not be a distraction for students taking exams, or it will not require shouting or any sort of amplification within the school, so the noise will not be an issue. Again, the plant’s modern design minimizes dust, and the prevailing winds ensure that any dust will not blow back up the runway towards the school, but rather in the opposite direction”.

“For the third issue related to trucking, we have made provisions for a dedicated lane and time. If you’re familiar with the tarmac. There’s a more roughly paved part between the runway and the bush. The idea is to make that part a dedicated lane for the trucks to go up and down. So it will keep the trucks away from the children and keep them off the tarmac”, Gonsalves said.

Groundbreaking for the acute hospital took place on Saturday, October 26, 2024.