Debate
No. 18 of 16.06.09
(No.
B/549) Mr E. Guimbeau (First Member for Curepipe &
Midlands) asked the Minister of Environment and National
Development Unit whether, in regard to the La Brasserie
Transfer Station, he has received a petition from the
inhabitants of Cité La Brasserie, concerning the removal and
transfer thereof to an uninhabited area, because of the
presence of a permanent bad smell, flies and the health
hazards they represent to them and, if so, will he state the
remedial actions that will be taken.
The Minister of Local Government, Rodrigues and Outer Islands
(Dr. J. B. David): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, with your
permission, I shall reply to this question.
I am advised by the Ministry of Environment and National
Development Unit that a complaint was made through the radio
Top FM on 22 January 2009 concerning odour nuisance emanating
from lorries transferring wastes from La Brasserie Transfer
Station to Mare Chicose landfill. Furthermore, the
inhabitants of Cité La Brasserie have complained to that
Ministry through a petition dated 26 February 2009, informing
that since four months, they were being affected by odour
nuisance and flies proliferation arising from the operation of
La Brasserie Transfer Station and requested for its
relocation.
However, during independent site visits effected at the
transfer station by the Police de l’Environnement and the
Department of Environment on 22 January 2009 and by the
officers of my Ministry on three occasions, no environmental
nuisance was detected.
In addition, the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life, the
Enforcing Agency for odour which was requested to look further
into the issue had, after effecting site visits on 28 January
and 25 February 2009, observed that the following mitigating
measures were already being used to prevent odour nuisance –
(i)
waste carriers were being washed twice daily on site;
(ii)
tarpaulins were being used to cover the lorries, and
(iii)
lime was also being used to reduce humidity of the refuse.
The House may wish to note that my Ministry has implemented
upgrading works at La Brasserie Transfer Station which started
on 24 June 2008 and completed on 01 June 2009. The works
consisted of demolishing the existing platform which was too
small and constructing three new ones with associated access
roads and ramps which will reduce congestion at the transfer
station.
The
new infrastructure will eliminate the problem of queuing of
lorries and stacking of wastes. Wastes delivered at La
Brasserie Transfer Station will be transported immediately to
the Mare Chicose landfill, thus avoiding accumulation of
waste.
Mr Guimbeau: Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister has received a
petition to remove the transfer station. I don’t think
it is fair for Cité La Brasserie which is only a few metres
from the station and the inhabitants have been complaining for
years now. The Ministry has invested Rs200 m. in that same
transfer station. We are asking the hon. Minister to
have the site removed together with all the big trucks and
lorries because of the health hazards caused to the
inhabitants of this Cité. We are not asking to do like Mare
Chicose, but to move the station to an uninhabited area.
Dr. David: There are two things, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir.
Number one, I said, last time, in this very Parliament, that
my Ministry did not receive any petition. The petition went to
the Ministry of Environment and this is what I mentioned in my
answer. Number two, we invested millions of rupees at
the transfer station precisely, not only to mitigate, but to
eliminate, if at all possible, odours and traffic congestion,
or other problems. And number three, it is certainly not
possible right now to remove the transfer station from where
it is to some other place. This is not envisaged as an
alternative, at the moment, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir.
Mr Guimbeau: I am saying that there are about 300 or 400
families living a few metres close to the station. I don’t
think it is fair for the inhabitants of this Cité. We
are asking to remove, at least, the station to an uninhabited
area. I think we are talking about Maurice Ile Durable;
it is not fair, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir.
Dr. David: The question of fairness is a matter of
appreciation. I do understand, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir,
that nobody wishes to have a transfer station around or a few
metres away from his place of residence. But, as I have
said, this has been there for long and for very long, even
before I came. But we did invest massively, precisely,
as I said, not only to mitigate, but to eliminate problems.
Mr Dowarkasing: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I just want to know
from the hon. Minister when this transfer station was
conceived as a temporary site? Was it not done on a temporary
basis until we find another site for that?
Dr. David: The second part of the hon. Member’s
question is important: “until we find some other place”.
Mr Guimbeau: It will still be the same, the problems are
not going to be eliminated with the investment of Rs200 m. in
this station and this is not true, Mr Speaker, Sir. It
is going to worsen, because the volume is going to triple or
even be ten times the volume it is right now. That’s
why I am asking, in the name of the inhabitants of Cité La
Brasserie, to have this station removed from there.
Dr. David: Well, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, with the new
methods and new technologies, I am sure that we will find
solutions to that problem. It is not a question of
increasing the tonnage of waste, but rather how we deal with
it.
Mr Bérenger: May we know whether a feasibility study
has been carried out scientifically to see whether there is
anywhere in the region, further away, the possibility of
relocating the station and how much that would cost?
Dr. David: I’ll check, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir.
Mr Guimbeau: I thank the hon. Leader of the Opposition,
Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir. I know La Brasserie. There
are thousands of acres of bare lands all around. This is
why we are shocked to see that we have invested Rs200 m. just
a few metres from Cité La Brasserie, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir.
And, once again, I am asking the Government and the Ministry
to avoid a second Mare Chicose and to have the station removed
from there. This is an appeal, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir.
Dr. David: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the hon. Member is
shocked, but I must tell him that this was there before I came
and what I did was to bring solutions and remedy the
situation. Now, if there is any alternative as hon.
Dowarkasing just said it was set up until such time we find an
alternative place. Well, let it remain at that. If we find,
certainly we’ll do it; but, otherwise, as I said, with new
methods, new technologies, with massive investment we are
constantly bringing solutions. It was there before I
came, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, and I have never heard anybody
ask such questions before.
The Deputy Speaker: A last question!
Mr Guimbeau: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I agree it was
there, but it was a small station. This is where I
don’t agree. Rs200 m. has been invested together with the
contract. We could have moved it and made the investment on a
bare land far from an inhabited area. That’s all I am
asking. It is not fair! It is four years now.
The
Deputy Speaker: We take note. Next question, hon.
Guimbeau!
Keywords: odour nuisance, health hazard
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