EMA Hosts Barbados' Environmental Protection Department

EMA HOSTS BARBADOS’ ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONDEPARTMENTThe Environmental Management Authority (EMA) was proud to hostenvironmental officials from neighbouring Barbados over the past weekas they sought to learn more about the EMA’s approach to environmentalprotection. The team, which included the Director of Barbados’Environmental Protection Department (EPD), Jeffrey Headley; the DeputyDirector, Anthony Headley and Environmental Technicians, Nicole Sueand Shaina Goodridge, was warmly welcomed at the EMA on MondayJanuary 12 th , 2009.EMA’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Joth Singh, was especially elated tohost the team having worked closely with both the Director and theDeputy Director during his regional responsibilities. Singh, who knew theofficers from when the current EPD was the much smaller EnvironmentalEngineering Division, strongly supports its vision of a broaderenvironmental management responsibility as it strives to eventuallybecome an environmental authority.“This augurs well for conservation of the region’s environmentalresources as Barbados moves towards now joining Trinidad and Tobago,Jamaica and Guyana in having agencies designated to conserve andprotect the environment.” Singh said.Jeffrey Headley explained that the Government of Barbados is seeking toimprove a number of areas within its environment programme, mainlyenvironmental noise, ambient air quality and water quality control. Moreimportantly, their Ministry of Environment, Water Resources and

Drainage is also seeking to review and finalize its EnvironmentalManagement Act.The group was especially interested in the EMA’s structure of thepermitting and fee collection system for environmental noise; the processof dealing with environmental noise violations; the ambient air qualitymonitoring programme, and the regulatory mechanisms for water qualitycontrol.Why the EMA? As T&T has already established its environmental noiseand ambient air quality monitoring programme, they found it appropriateto obtain information on how the EMA deals with these issues.The EMA applauded efforts of the EPD, the main regulatory agency forenvironmental issues in Barbados, at improving its technical capabilityin environmental management and was pleased to facilitate a study tourfor its four officers.The tour which took place from January 12 – 15, 2009 consisted of sitevisits to the Pt. Lisas Air Monitoring Station, Atlantic LNG’s andAlutrint’s compound, in-house presentations on the EMA’s NoisePollution Control Rules, 2001 and Water Pollution Control (Amendment)Rules 2006 and discussions on the EM Act (2000).According to Headley, “The Barbados’ Environmental ProtectionDepartment is still under a Ministry and is not a statutory, independentbody like the EMA. Unlike us, the EMA is an authority and has certainmechanisms to implement in an autonomous way.”He also revealed that Barbados’ Environmental Management Act is stillat a draft stage and they came to the EMA seeking technical assistance

as well as to learn from the EMA’s challenges, benefits and structure.“We all face the same challenges to some extent, but we may tackle themdifferently.”Deputy Director, Anthony Headley also said that they also wanted to gainknowledge of the EMA’s structures, strategies and the ability to bridgeimplementation of legislation concerning Trinidad’s culture, especiallywhen it comes to Noise Pollution. He explained that they too needed tocontrol noise pollution on the island as it was becoming a problem.Headley announced that he admired the EMA’s relationship with theUnited States of America’s Environmental Protection Agency to guide,structure and train EMA employees. In fostering this relationship withthe EPD, the EMA now looks forward to working with them to promoteenvironmental management in Barbados.Courtesy the Environmental Management Authority

Taking a break: Environmental officials from the BarbadosEnvironmental Protection Department take a break from the day’spresentations to meet with EMA officials. From L-R: EMA’s TechnicalServices Manager, Glenn Goddard; Environmental Technicians ShainaGoodridge and Nicole Sue; EPD’s Deputy Director, Anthony Headley;EMA’s Managing Director/CEO Dr. Joth Singh and the EPD’s Director,Jeffrey Headley.