Dear Editor,
I am writing to voice my concern about an issue that has been affecting the residents of CC Eccles, specifically the residents that live on the street before the Industrial Site. To begin, let me be clear that I am 100% in support of business development in Guyana however it must be done in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner.
Editor, if you take a drive into the Eccles community using the entrance at the stoplight (Sari Sign Entrance) heading east until you reach the arch that says, “Welcome to Eccles Industrial Site”, you will notice that there is a business that stockpiles stones on both the right and left sides of that street. You will also notice that there is a structure that is being erected, presumably to contain the dust, however, here is where the problem comes.
Since 2021 I made a report to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about the excessive dust that is generated by this business onto and into the homes of the nearby residents. At the time I made the report, my wife who is asthmatic, was three months pregnant. I informed the EPA that this situation can cause a lot of health complications on a newborn and pleaded with them for assistance.
According to EPA, they did the site inspection and gave the business six months to fix the issue. To make a long story short. When my baby celebrated the one-year birthday, the issue was still the same. I tried contacting EPA several times and they will not respond to my emails. Several times I spoke to the manager at the EPA who always promised to get back to me and but it never did bear any results. When I made the report, the EPA said that many residents have made the same report and I still wonder why nothing was ever done.
Editor, for the past year and a half, I cannot open the windows of my house and I must keep the doors closed. You can imagine what is happening to my family with the excessive heat right now. Also, if you visit the homes of these residents, you will see the amount of dust inside the houses even if we cleaned the day prior. This is overbearing and it seems like businesses can do whatever they feel like, and the authorities are very slow to react. Residents in this area are suffering.
Now the company is erecting what is supposed to be a containment, but my questions are, is this area/location a suitable place for such a business? Is there a permit requirement prior to the establishment of such businesses? Where is the EPA on this issue?
Regards,
(Name and address supplied)
