Wallerfield, Trinidad and Tobago

Environmental Management Authority in Trinidad and Tobago (EMA)
Partners included the Central Government of Trinidad and Tobago, the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Housing, the Mount Hope Hospital, the Solid Waste Management Company of Trinidad and Tobago, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Pan American Health Organization, and the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta,USA.

In 1993, cases of lead poisoning were diagnosed in children from the Demerada Road area in northeast Trinidad. Investigators revealed that during the late eighties and early nineties lead waste from a smelter was used to pave the roadway and raise the level of some houses. The Ministry of Health arranged testing for residents. Some were found to have blood lead levels as high as 160 mg/l, 10 mg/l being a safe limit and levels above 45mg/l requiring hos-pitalization. The Government of Trinidad and Tobago appointed a Committee which recommended relocating residents and cleaning up the area. Some residents relocated but many refused, indifferent to the real danger they were facing. In 1997, a subsequent Cabinet mandated the EMA to clean up the site.

Before the beginning of the project, the EMA held discussions with all the stakeholders to assess its scope and to develop an education and awareness programme. Both local and international agencies offered their expertise in the development and execution of the clean-up. The education and awareness programme started in September 1998 and included community discussions and lectures. Site remediation of contaminated materials began on June 5, 2000, and was completed by August 25, 2000. Funding for the education and awareness programme and the USEPA experts came from EMA’s annual budget. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), EMA and the Arima Health Facility all contributed to the blood testing. The Ministry of Housing funded the relocation of some residents. The Ministry of the Environment acquired a special allocation from the Central Government for the clean-up of the site.

• Natural and environmental disasters (Chapter I of the Barbados Programme of Action)
• Management of wastes (Chapter III of the BPoA)
• Regional Institutions and technical cooperation (Chapter XI of the BPoA)

• The lead contamination was removed and the site completely remediated. Secondary remediation, i.e., the disposal of mattresses, cushions, etc., that may contain lead dust or particles, was also completed.
• Some of the children from the area, as well as affected adults, were treated for lead poisoning.
• The intervention of an EMA project officer who became a part of the community, as well as the establishment of a street theater, educated the people about the dangers of lead contamination and made them environmentallyaware.
• This incident serves as an effective example for teaching other communities about the dangers of lead contamination and the need to be environmentally aware.

• Wide stakeholder involvement is essential for the success of projects of this nature, but lead agencies must be mindful at all times of the vested interests of the parties concerned and stay focused on the initial objective. These types of projects can easily be derailed because of lack of implementation.
• The need to keep everyone involved, informed and up to date is therefore required, but the lead organization must also be sensitive to wider governmental issues, which is not always an easy task.
• The community must be informed of what is being done at each step of the process. It is even more critical that residents be kept informed with respect to the results of the health tests performed on them.
• Identifying and appointing a leader in the community to work in tandem with the remediating organization is essential.
• A community project officer who can relate to the people of the community and gain their trust is essential to the success of the project.

Dr. Dave McIntosh
Managing Director/C.E.O.
Environmental Management Authority
2nd Floor, The Mutual Centre, 16 Queen’s Park West
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies
Tel.: (868) 628-8042
Fax: (868) 628-9122
E-mail: ema@ema.co.tt