The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

Grand Bahama Environmental Association is preparing to stage its second "Residents Day" to raise awareness of industrial pollution on Grand Bahama.

The event, which was considered a success last year, is scheduled for August.

Berthram Pinder, president of GBEA, said residents are looking forward to this year's event as last year there were a number of interesting speakers, free blood screening, a fun day for families and a distribution of school supplies.

Many residents living in the settlements and communities surrounding the industrial park are expected to attend.

GBEA has been advocating on behalf of the residents in the affected communities and has been urging successive governments to immediately relocate persons from the area.

"Residents living around the industrial park in Grand Bahama say their hopes of getting help with pollution issues are becoming dimmer by the day," said Mr Pinder, who claims that residents are still experiencing strong chemical odours.

He indicated that the organisation and residents were very optimistic when the FNM government was elected to office that their issues and concerns would be addressed.

Their optimism has been replaced with despair and discouragement, Mr Pinder said.

"The residents' discouragement stems from the (minister of environment's) failure to meet with them in January 2018 in a town hall setting as promised. Now five months into the year, the residents have lost hope in the governments' willingness to tackle…the issues of pollution," he stressed.

"In fact, no government has had a demonstrable willingness to the relocation of residents as was mandated by a government study completed as far back as 1985 under the Pindling government," he claimed.

The GBEA believes the "controversial" study and its results were hidden by the government and those who conducted the study were sent away.

Shuffel Hepburn, businessman turned activist who supports the residents, believes the study was hidden because there was no intention of forcing the industrial companies to relocate the residents.

"The study was only uncovered in late 2016 when I dug up a copy in a government office in Nassau. And a couple of weeks later an anonymous source sent a copy to The Tribune."

He said the study proved that residents, students, teachers and plant workers were all struggling with a myriad of health issues.

"No cancer cases were presented at the time because cancer generally follows a 20 year rule, and usually shows up some 20 years after the exposure to carcinogens," he claimed.

One resident said: "The government has been so busy negotiating with Oban Energies that it has had no time for the residents."

The resident believes an oil refinery in East End, Grand Bahama would further complicate the issues of pollution.