Re mining in Bua - I told you so!

from w
Of course there will be side effects and a trade off when there's a mine in Bua.  Now it's dust and possible bad health consequences for the children going to school. Come on Basilio - shake a leg!

This story is from today's Fiji Times.

Dusty road a hazard

Salaseini Vosamana
 Tuesday, July 24, 2012

A GROUP of parents in Bua refused to send their children to school yesterday because of dust from trucks loaded with bauxite that run the road to the jetty.

The parents of Waibunabuna Primary School in Lekutu claim they've experienced the dust since the bauxite mine opened.

Speaking on their behalf, school board member Dinesh Chandra said they were worried students would get sick as a result of inhaling the dust.

"Most of the students walk from their homes every morning and when they reach the school, they need to bathe again because they're covered in dust," Mr Chandra said.

"They clean their classrooms in the morning and after one hour, they're dirty again because the ten-wheeler trucks just continue to throw up more dust.

"We have written to the relevant government departments to request assistance but our plea seems to be falling on deaf ears."

Resident Manoa Vutudromu said his house was always closed during the day when the trucks were running.

"I am really concerned about my family's health and I make sure all our clothes are hung out at night and not during the day," he said.

"It's really sad to see children walking along the road covering their faces when these trucks pass.

"We were informed that an access road would be built to cater for the students and also the main road would be tarsealed but we're still waiting," he said.

Mr Vutudromu said they hoped the authorities would look into the matter.

Bua provincial administrator Inoke Tagicakibau said they had a truck to splash water on the main road.

"For now, a truck is diffusing water to stop the thick dust from entering the school compound and this will be an ongoing process until the situation improves," he said.

"The government will soon upgrade the Dreketi and Nabouwalu highway and such developments include the tarsealing of the Lekutu road."

North education officer Mere Fisher said she was not aware of the matter but would liaise with the school.

Queries sent to Xinfa Aurum Exploration (Fiji) Limited spokesman Basilio Vanuaca remained unanswered.