Kublalsingh hits tar-sand mining

“CRAZY, mad, foolish” was how environmentalist Dr Wayne Kublalsingh described the Government’s plan to mine tar sands at La Brea.

On Wednesday, a request for proposals was published in Newsday inviting operators to bid for ten acres of land at Parry Lands as phase one of a 69-acre spread. In the advert, Palo Seco Agricultural Enterprises Ltd said it had a mining licence from the Ministry of Energy.

Yesterday the tar-sands plan was slammed by Kublalsingh, who fought the setting up of an aluminium smelter in Trinidad and part of the extension of the Solomon Hochoy Highway, all on environmental grounds.

“Tar-sands mining is a very destructive industry. You must get rid of the top vegetation and the layers of soil. After all of that, the yield of oil is very low.”

Kublalsingh noted that when the oil is extracted from the tar sands, the sand is left, and dumping it can be very destructive to the local environment.

Noting this tar-sands initiative is coming at the same time as the Petrotrin refinery closure, he said, “This all suggests to me the Government has no solid economic vision for TT, or technical competence. You can’t rely on Petrotrin’s exploration and production.”

He wondered if the Government has a political death wish.

“You cannot rely on tar sands. They are destructive socially, economically and ecologically.”

Kublalsingh said tar sands had been on the Government’s agenda for ten years, the past Patrick Manning Government having sought bids from Canadian firms.

On tar sands, he said Canada had made a lot of money thanks to the large scale of operations, butTrinidad does not have such a spread. “So it does not make sense economically for TT.”

Kublalsingh urged the Government to steer the economy into computer technology and solar energy.

“Tar sands cannot save us,” he added.