In the face of strong opposition against construction of the Alutrint aluminium smelter plant in La Brea, Prime Minister Patrick Manning has announced that the smelter will be among several industrial plants to be constructed in that area.

Manning’s announcement was met with a hearty round of applause from supporters at the PNM’s fifth “party school” at Frisco Junction, Point Fortin Monday night. The smelter has been the subject of several protests by anti-smelter groups and individuals. On his way to and from Point Fortin Manning would have passed an anti-smelter camp at the entrance of the proposed site and a banner which stated: “No Manning, Smelter.”

And in spite of Justice Mira Dean-Armorer’s ruling that the decision by the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) to grant approval for construction of the plant as illegal, Manning reiterated that the soon to be Borough of Point Fortin and La Brea would be the home to the first aluminium smelter in T&T. Point Fortin, he added, was the leader of energy export in the western hemisphere. Manning said people were not opposed to the smelter, but to industrialisation. He said their argument was that industrialisation was not possible without adversely affecting the environment, but that was not true.

Saying there were established international standards to determine acceptable levels of emissions with which human beings can co-exist, Manning said: “The PNM says therefore, that sustainable development is what we are all about, that is to say while we live in the environment we must use it to the best of our ability and try at all times that we do nothing to prejudice the enjoyment of the environment by generations to come. “And so, safe industrialisation, that is what the PNM is all about and you all will live to see my dear friends, not only aluminium smelting in La Brea/Point Fortin and LNG expansion, but you will live to see more industrial plants located in this part of the country consistent with the policies of the Government of the PNM,” the Prime Minister said.