(Trinidad Express) A bar in Cunupia, central Trinidad, was shut down last Friday night after violating the Noise Pollution Control Rules (NPCR) set by the Environmental Management Authority (EMA).
Officers attached to the EMA’s Environmental Police Unit (EPU) were at the time conducting a regular spot check in the area when they came upon a bar from which was “emanating excessively loud music”, an EMA media release stated yesterday.
Further inspection showed the establishment to also be in breach of a bar licence for the event, located outside, and to have violated the required licence from the Copyright Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago (COTT).
The EPU, although operating under the jurisdiction of the EMA, is also able to take action against noise and noise-related nuisance issues under several other pieces of legislation.
These include the Summary Offences Act, the Liquor Licenses Act, the Theatres and Dance Halls Act and Regulations, the Registration of Clubs Act and the Public Holidays and Festivals Act, among other pieces of legislation.
Managing director/CEO of the EMA, Dr Joth Singh said while the Noise Pollution Control Rules (NPCR) provide some relief to noise, the rules require that noise from an activity be measured over prescribed time frames to determine a breach.
“Nuisance issues often associated with noisy bars and clubs, such as traffic congestion, vandalism and violence can be immediately dealt with by any member of the Police Service under the pieces of legislation mentioned above,” Singh said.
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