Chlorine leak sparks protest

WESTERN BUREAU:

POLICE IN Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland were kept busy on the streets in that town up to late yesterday as they tried to prevent residents from returning to the streets in protest over fumes escaping from chlorine cylinders buried in the New Market Oval area.

About 150 protesters had earlier taken to the streets demanding that the cylinders be removed from the community, after the National Water Commission and the Westmoreland Parish Council had advised an evacuation of the area.

This followed a report of a release of chlorine from a buried cylinder in the vicinity of the Parish Council Office in the town.

Reports reaching The Gleaner are that eight cylinders were buried in the New Market Oval community sometime ago. About two months ago, one of them exploded. As a result, they were removed and buried elsewhere in the area, but started leaking, triggering yesterday's protest.

The Office of Disaster Preparedness said yesterday that as a result of the possible threat of leakage from other cylinders, preparations were being made by the Parish Disaster Committee to house evacuees at the Savanna-la-mar Primary School overnight.

An NWC team was set to return to the site today to conduct a more detailed assessment.

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