Signs of pollution near Bartica’s Golden Beach have spurred some residents to call on authorities to immediately halt the construction of a wharf by Sir’s Gas Station, which they believe will make matters worse.
In a May 12th, 2021 letter of petition to the Bartica Mayor and Town Council, which was seen by Sunday Stabroek, resident Leslie Nurse said he and other concerned residents could not sit back and allow the pollution and destruction of the area, located at 4th Avenue.
Nurse and the other residents, who have copied their correspondence to regulatory authorities including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Sea and River Defence Board, and the Maritime Administration (MARAD) as well as government officials, emphasised that the appeal was not politically motivated but rather based on their concern for their recreational space and the environment. They contend that the river front area is being polluted by the fuel operations at the site as there are reportedly constant spills from fuel purchased by boat operators.
But according to the gas station’s owner Deodat Dhanraj, while he is not aware of the complaints made by residents against his business, fuel pollution has always been an issue in the area even before the wharf started to allow for boats to refuel while in the water. He explained that there is another beach further up t 7th Avenue where people usually go to wash their trucks and vehicles. However, because his business is between the 7th Avenue and Golden Beach, most persons believe that the pollution stems from his operation.
“They can come anytime to verify what I am saying. When people wash their trucks up the beach and leave it to dry, the oil and fuel does come and go right into the water but because we located between they want to blame us. And trucks are washed everyday there and this problem is not one from now,” he said.
In his letter of petition, Nurse said that over the years the community has experienced the destruction of beachfronts where wharfs are located due to water pollution. “For decades that water front area [which includes] Golden beach [has been] the primary area for family gatherings and recreational swimming. It is with this background we the community members cannot sit back and allow such destruction to our virtually only remaining beach area,” he wrote.
Granted permission
According to Nurse, the beach is close to the Golden Beach, which is Bartica’s main recreational facility. Nurse said that another main tourist attraction, the Bird Walk, is also close to the same area. He argues that the construction of the wharf would further contribute to the existing pollution issue and take away from the aesthetics of the beachfront.
Dhanraj denied the accusations while saying that before he began constructing the wharf, which is located behind his home, he approached all the relevant agencies, including the Town Council, the EPA and MARAD, to seek permission to proceed. He said after extensive assessment by the EPA and MARAD he was granted permission to construct and operate at the wharf.
“We are working according to the environmental permit, and the wharf is located at my place so I am not obstructing anybody or the flow of traffic. We are not doing anything against the law or anything to interfere with the natural surroundings of the area,” he added.
Mayor of Bartica, Gifford Marshall told Sunday Stabroek that the council has received a petition from residents voicing their concerns over the pollution.
According to the Mayor, the matter will be a part of the council’s agenda at its coming statutory meeting.
“We have received numerous complaints of oil being in the water and a petition. We plan to discuss this at the council’s upcoming statutory meeting and advise the residents on the way forward,” Marshall explained.
He noted that the owner of the gas station had requested to expand his service station east of the beach area but the council after recognising that the expansion would be close to the beach, advised that he takes it to the western end.
Marshall noted that the council has received numerous complaints of pollution but has been challenged in gathering evidence of the claims.
“It was always a challenge to get photographic or video evidence because when the residents report the matter it is always a few hours late or a few days,” he noted.
Tired
Meanwhile, Nurse told this newspaper that residents are tired of complaining and not getting any results. He noted that not only is water polluted by oil and other fuels but the soil is also contaminated as the spills are absorbed.
On one occasion when he contacted the owner and complained, Nurse said, the owner of the business threw the blame on boat operators. “I am a boat operator so I know it is not the boat operators causing that; the area is where the businessman is receiving and discharging fuel. One or two boat cannot throw away all that oil. This has been a recreational space for years now little remains. But if we allow this pollution to continue we the residents will not have a recreational area and at this level of pollution we might not have a beach to swim in soon,” Nurse, who is a sports enthusiast, lamented.
“It is not that we don’t want to see development but it cannot happen in this area, which is a prime spot and was gazetted years ago to not have any commercial activities. We are a town promoting tourism but if this is the condition of our beach that we boast about how people can come here and relax or swim?” he questioned as he recalled three weeks ago, two boats with persons were turned away due to the high content of fuel in the water.
Nurse is also annoyed at the fact that when he contacted regional officials, he was asked to take a sample of the water as authorities didn’t see the need to visit and have a firsthand understanding of what has been taking place.
Regional Chairman Kenneth Williams said that the region will soon conduct an investigation but noted that approval for the operation and expansion was granted by other agencies, such as MARAD, the EPA and the Sea and River Defence Board.
