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ALNG turns Clifton Hill Beach into
A sea of rocks!
... and residents slam 2 years to build swimming
pool |
| By
MYRNA LLANOS |
IN May 2004, Rick Cape, President of Atlantic
LNG, the gas liquefaction company, along with officials of the
Point Fortin Borough Corporation (PFBC) turned the sod to begin
construction of a swimming pool at Coronation Park, now Egypt
Village, Point Fortin.
However, in January 2006, almost two years later, on the Front
Page of a newsletter circulated in the borough, ALNG is spreading
the word that “Point Fortin’s first public swimming
pool is now on target to being constructed and the project is
scheduled to be completed by the third quarter of 2006.
“Upon completion,” it continued, “ALNG will
turn over management of the pool to the Point Fortin Borough Corporation.”
Residents told TnT Mirror that it is all well and good that ALNG
has said it is constructing a swimming pool for the public’s
use, to be completed later this year, hopefully, but that it is
long overdue, considering the extent of the damages done to the
beaches of the borough by the company.
The residents are also furious that the politicians have allowed
ALNG to come to Point Fortin and destroy their natural environment,
without doing anything to correct it after almost 10 years.
One of the residents, Henry Miller, said: “It is hurtful
to see how these people have destroyed our environment and yet
behave as if they don’t care how they have affected our
community.
“Imagine almost 10 years after their works destroyed most
of the beaches in Point Fortin, they are now talking about constructing
a swimming pool for public use, to be managed by the Borough Corporation.
“I hope that they are not planning to charge people to use
that swimming pool.
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What
was once Clifton Hill Beach is now rocks
and mud.
ALNG’s fence leading to the sea at Point Ligoure
with no sign to warn that the area is treacherous
ground. Village children as well as adults go
there to catch crab.
Dam
on ALNG compound.
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“We had the use of our beaches and it was free and very pleasant.
“So many years have passed since their activities in Point
Fortin caused us to lose the use of our most popular beach at Clifton
Hill, and they have done nothing about it.
“It is gross disrespect of a people.”
He added: “British Petroleum, British Gas and Repsol of Spain,
the main owners of ALNG, are making millions by the hour off our
gas.
“I appreciate that they invested money to get there, but they
are showing too much disregard for us and what is ours.
“And nothing that we say seems to make any difference to them.
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“It is time that Prime Minister Patrick Manning and
his people demand that ALNG develop the Guapo Beach and
some other beaches to make up for the loss of the Clifton
Hill and Pointe Ligoure Beaches.
“The majority of us go to the sea for relaxation and
exercise, and we want them to fix the beach area right now
so that it can be used and enjoyed.
“People have been staying away from the beaches because
they don’t feel safe going in those ‘back areas’
with all the bush there, etc.”
“ALNG activities in our borough have not only completely
destroyed two of our beaches but have also spoilt others
and caused the Cap de Ville River to become silted.
“There are only big rocks now at Clifton Hill, and
at Pointe Ligoure, they turned the sea into land.
“They fenced up to where they wanted with a wire fence
and left the rest open, and did not care a bit that the
ground outside the fence was treacherous like quicksand
and dangerous for persons to walk on.
“No sign warning of the dangers of walking there was
ever put up. As a result, a few persons have gotten stuck
in the slush and had to be pulled out by fellow villagers.”
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Clipping
of the sod-turning
ceremony to start constru-
ction of swimming pool on
May 27, 2004. CEO of the
Point Fortin Borough
Corporation PATRICIA
BRADSHAW turned the
sod while ESTHER LE
GENDRE and President
RICK CAPE of ALNG
and some councillors
looked on.
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He
continued: “Wicked ALNG has two big water dams near their
fence and they put a piece of plastic to encourage the overflow
to run outside their compound unto the open area that used to be
sea, and which will always be the backyard of Pointe Ligoure people’s
children.
“ALNG’s disrespect for us as a people must stop now.
“The politicians, too, must start to show respect for the
citizens.
“They must show us that it is the TnT Government in charge
here and not bp and BG etc.” |
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