SUBJECT; Suspension of Construction Works at the new T G Glover Primary School by the FNM Government over suspicion of unfounded allegations of indications that the school was being built on a “Toxic Dump Site”.

For the benefit of all, wish to define what is a Toxic Dump Site?

TOXIC WASTE
The widely used term toxic waste is difficult to define. It includes substances harmful to life and the environment, i.e. wastes with any of the following characteristics: poisonous, radioactive, flammable, explosive, corrosive, carcinogenic (causing cancer), mutagenic (damaging chromosomes), teratogenic (causing defects in the unborn) or bioaccumulative (accumulating in the bodies of plants and animals and thus in food chains).

Toxic or poisonous wastes are produced during industrial, chemical, and biological processes. Even household, office and commercial wastes contain small quantities of toxic wastes (e.g. batteries, old pesticides and their containers).

I have noted with great interest the various utterances of Ministers Earl Deveaux, Carl Bethel and Dion Foulkes regarding the subject matter and the FNM Government clear attempt to diminish vital and important projects duly approved and commenced under the PLP Government.

Any reasonable person would ask, why would the FNM Government be pre-occupied in seeking to demonize the Christie Administration, the Professional Technical Staff of the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Education and to put fear in the heart and minds of Parents, Teachers, Students and the Public without a shred of plausible evidence to support their outrageous allegations of there being a Toxic Waste Site at the T G Glover Primary School.

The records will without a doubt show that full and proper due diligence was executed in all phrases of the T G Glover School Project by the technical and administrative staff of the Ministry of Works.

The FNM Ministers all failed to remind the public that a Primary School was located on a portion of the site for many years and the children utilized the vacant section for sporting activities. The School for the deaf is located on the northern side of the site. Logic would dictate that if the land in question was a Toxic Waste Site that evidence of the same would have manifested it-self over these many years a long tome ago. They also failed to remind the public that the old T G Glover Primary School was condemned by Professional Structural Engineers more than two years before the PLP Government was elected in 2002 and it was the Christie Government who moved with alacrity to relocate the school and to accommodated the students and the teachers and staff with the extension of class rooms and trailers at the Albury/Sayles Primary School on Nassau Street.

I am advised that the Contractor and six of his workmen informed the Ministry of Works months ago when they experienced a rash and itching over parts of their bodies and were treated by Physicians and returned to the job site. The MOW referred the complaint to the appropriate Government agency for review and advice. The FNM came to power following the May 2nd General Elections and shortly thereafter the contract were placed on hold at the request of the Ministry of Works.

I am advised that there was a large infestation of Monkey Tamarind around the grounds, which was covered over during the excavation; of up to eight feet for the foundation and in all likelihood is, the reason for the rash and itch the Contractor and the workmen experienced.

I invite the Public to visit the site to witness first hand the excellent progress made by the Contractor to-date.

Finally I am reliably informed that the over due Toxic Waste Report has been received by the Government which has logically confirmed that the T G Glover Primary School Site on Horseshoe Drive is not a Toxic Dump Site. I appeal to the Government on behalf of the Parents, Teachers, Students and the Public to release the report forthwith to allow the works to reassume without further delay.