Linden Mayor continues to sound alarm over suspected toxic levels along access road

Mayor of Linden Sharma Solomon continues to express worry over the suspected health risks associated with the Noitgedacht Access Road in the town, which is to be used as a main road while the new Mackenzie-Wismar bridge is under construction.

At a press conference today, the Mayor said for more than two and a half years, the road was reportedly maintained with materials containing toxic elements, and the thick dust could be seen emanating from the road as vehicles traverse it on a daily basis.

The Mayor is worried that with increased traffic, the public health threat will also increase.

“The residents of Linden have long relied on this access road which has become a lifeline for our community, and as traffic continues to rise, it is unfortunate that this road in the current state is in adequate to handle the volume and is now a serious public health and safety concern,” Solomon said.

According to Mayor Solomon, the presence of the toxic chemical in the road was brought to the attention of the Council by Councillor Waynewright Bethune during last September’s statutory meeting.

Councillor Bethune, who is also a senior Environmental Officer attached to the Bosai Bauxite company in the town, took samples from the road and sent them for testing at a number of labs after it was discovered that contractors hired to maintain the road were using materials from mined out areas.

“Samples collected and which were shared demonstrated that high concentration of toxic elements which pose risks to the wellbeing of citizens were found in those materials,” the Mayor said.

He said the issue was brought to the attention of the Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill during a stakeholders’ meeting last Saturday, but he declined to have the road upgraded, instead promising to have the dust suppressed.

“I would like to urge the Minister of Public Works to reconsider the decision and work in the best interest of the community. We cannot compromise the health and safety of our residents. A proper upgrade and capping of this road, is not just for the infrastructural issue. It is a matter of protecting the environment and public health,” the Mayor said.

In a statement last evening, the Public Works Minister said there is no evidence of a toxic threat to the residents of Linden resulting from the materials used on the Noitgedacht road.

Minister Edghill said the Ministry of Public Works along with a representative from the Town Council, have since collected a new set of samples from the road for further testing. The tests will determine if there are any trace elements present that exceed the recommended levels set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for residential areas.