SMOC: "Close down Isla-refinery until they comply with permit"

April 07, 2011 6:29 AM

The Institution Clean Environment On Curaçao (Smoc) appealed to a higher court last Monday against the rejection of the government of February 22nd last regarding Smoc’s request of March 21st 2005 to uphold the entire Isla-permit.

In their order, the government states ‘there is no question of violating the permit conditions applicable for Refineria Isla’, and rejects Smoc’s request to take action. The environmental organization thinks the government has taken ‘another inaccurate and unmotivated decision and accuses the government of unlawful conduct and improper governance’.

According to Smoc-chairperson Peter van Leeuwen, the Isla should be closed down until all problems are solved. “The recent ‘incidents’ where schools were evacuated, the enormous stench inconvenience caused by the leakage of dangerous nafta (Isla-spokesperson Kenneth Gijsbertha denied this categorically yesterday, red.), and the continuous torching emitting carcinogens, demonstrate that the environmental offences of Isla are becoming more serious and threatening. Action must be taken and if the government doesn’t want to do this than the judge is to take action and shut down Isla until all problems are solved and until Isla complies with their permit.” Smoc requests the judge to quash the government’s order and to overrule the government by determining that the Isla can only operate after implementation of the measures described by the Institution Advisory Administration of Justice StAB) in the court cases, in order to comply with the permit.

The institution finds that the Isla should only be allowed to operate again after inspection and approval of the implementation by StAB. If the judge puts Smoc in the right, the Isla will have to close down temporarily. The environmental organization presented a similar request to the government of Curaçao and to the Minister of Public Health, Nature and Environment, Jacinta Constancia (MFK). “In the interest of the public health of the inhabitants and school going children near the Isla, Smoc requests the Minster to immediately halt the activities of Isla and BOO until the necessary measures have been taken to prevent the extreme inconvenience. A copy of the request will be presented during the meeting that Smoc will be having today with the delegation of the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, Piet Hein Donner (CDA). In addition, we shall request The Netherlands to intervene. This request is based on the guarantee function within the Kingdom in case the government/Minister Constancia refuse to take the requested measures,” says Van Leeuwen. On the website www.stichtingsmoc.nl the chairman also mentions that if the institution does not achieve anything, they intend to go to the European Court for the Human Rights.

PAR asks questions
On behalf of the PAR-party, former deputy Marilyn Alcalá-Wallé asks Minister Constancia questions with regard to the recent developments at the Isla-refinery. “For some weeks now, we have been closely following the developments at the Isla. A few weeks ago, schools had to close their doors and send the children home several times due to the extreme stench. At a certain stage, as spokesperson Gijsbertha declared the stench was not from the Isla, the Environmental Service subsequently conducted an investigation. The PAR wanted to await this investigation,” says Alcalá-Wallé. She explains that her party believes the stench most certainly came from the Isla and that this led to a feeling of mistrust. The former deputy states that because Gijsbertha confirmed last Monday there was a question of a nafta leakage and withdrew this confirmation later on, this has only increased the distrust. “Smoc, who possesses considerable information, has given an explanation on the possible harmful affects of nafta. We want the Minister to order the Environmental Service to conduct further investigation and subsequently make the results public to remove this distrust,” says Alcalá-Wallé.

7 April 2011