Dear Editor,
It is common knowledge that the people of Linden welcome the investment by Bosai Minerals Group in the bauxite industry and hope for their success in revitalizing this important economic life-line of the community. However, despite our current economically depressed condition, it is expected that Bosai will respect the citizens of Linden and most assuredly the environment in which they operate.
From the inception of the bauxite industry, the main plant was always fenced, and the railway leading to the west bank mines was fenced, to highlight a few. Today the Bosai operation presents a major traffic hazard particularly to the residents of Noitgedacht, McKenzie. At present the company employs a fleet of contractor trucks and fails to provide a safe location within the confines of their operations for the routine parking, maintenance and repair activities of this fleet. These trucks can be found parked along the road (entrance to Noitgedacht), within a few yards of a junction of the most busy roadway in Linden. The truck operators conduct all their repair and maintenance works at this location, dumping their waste oil and filtres without regard for the damage to the environment. The potential hazard of most concern is that of a serious traffic accident which could result in the loss of life or limb.
It is my hope that your newspaper can bring to the attention of Bosai’s environmental and safety officers, who for all intents and purposes traverse this scene daily, the responsibility of the company to ensure that its contractors respect the safety of road users in Linden and particularly of the residents of Noitgedacht.
The solution to this hazard is for Bosai to facilitate its contractors within the fenced area of its operations. The people of Linden are already enduring the pollution resulting from this operation without the compensations they have enjoyed in the past. It is sad to say that members of our Police Traffic Department also traverse this scene daily and fail to see the potential hazard presented.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address
provided)
Editor’s note
We are sending a copy of this letter to Bosai for any comment(s) they may wish to make.
