By Robert A Emmanuel
Living next to the Burma and Bendals quarries has long been a catch-22 for residents as the dust produced by the grinding of aggregates continuously invades their living spaces and lungs.
Observer travelled to the area last week to speak to local residents about their thoughts on the situation.
Some told Observer that the dust was simply the price they pay for choosing to live near the quarry, responsible for producing materials used in construction around the island.
A Greencastle resident who had been living in the area for approximately a month pointed to the longstanding existence of the quarry in comparison to the expansion and urbanisation of the area.
“Who came first? If no one thought that the quarry would affect them enough to stop them when they chose to build here, and the government didn’t stop people from developing the area, then you can’t blame the quarry for continuing as it always has,” he said.
In the same breath, the resident pointed out that he had not noticed any efforts to perform dust suppression, recently pledged by the government, such as the use of water to keep the dust from blowing across the village.
A local businessman who relocated his operations to the village near the quarry over a year ago pointed out that while the dust from the quarry was not an issue, he had been affected by the fall-off from trucks carrying products from the quarry for delivery.
He said that the fall-off was proving to be an issue, covering the roads and surrounding areas they travelled through in layers of dust on a regular basis.
Most surprisingly, complaints of dust pollution came from further afield, with individuals from the Bendals area speaking to the stifling atmosphere that has become a norm to them over the years, what with the northward bound winds bringing the quarry dust to their doorsteps.
One grandmother was particularly worried about her family’s history of asthma, and whether or not her grandchildren’s illnesses were a by-product of genetics or long-term exposure.
In another village, Shiane Tyrell, who has lived in Piggotts since 2017, spoke of her challenges living in that community.
“I am having nosebleeds, and sometimes when I am outside for too long with the constant dust, my eyes get a bit foggy…the dust [makes my] house constantly dirty, it itches my skin, it is everywhere,” she explained.
She added that the quarry dust has begun to affect her pets, causing them to excessively sneeze.
She also explained that had she known the extent of the situation prior to building her home, she would have likely sold her land and moved to a different area.
“I have some motion-sensor lights and the dust has built up so much around them that the sensors no longer come on… so even the security measures for my household, the dust has adversely impacted,” she noted.
During our conversation, she was notably frustrated with the situation, arguing that if the quarry workers “washed down people’s houses with the dust suppressors that they have” that would greatly aid the increasingly frustrated residents.
In communication with her, it was revealed that a few years ago, she sought to petition the government to quickly address the situation.
“I had over 40 persons from the area sign [the petition] and I submitted that to the then-Permanent Secretary of Public Works, sent it to the Ministry of Health and sent a copy to [then MP] Dean Jonas,” she revealed.
Meanwhile, Observer also spoke to the Nedd family who shared similar sentiments about the dust.
“There is nothing we can do—in terms of water, the water that we save will get dusty and messed- up, and you cannot talk about inside and outside of the house where there is a vast amount of dust.
“We have called, petitioned and written letters and until now, nothing is being done, nobody has been taking us seriously,” Evanson Nedd said.
Tyrell also indicated that she had even thought about taking the issue to court but felt that persons would become jaded having to fight the battle through the court system.
“I did think about it, but I work in litigation so I know it can be a very tedious endeavour, and parties can get complacent,” she noted, explaining that some residents have begun to accept their situation with the quarry as part of living in the area.
Yesterday, the Antigua and Barbuda Met Office warned residents that air quality had fallen to moderate as a consequence of a Saharan dust surge.
Observer media spoke to a representative of the American Lung Association, Dr Panagis Galiatsatos, about the impact that quarry dust and Sahara dust could have on residents.
“Now you are just battling multiple inhalants that are going to be tough, the quarry dust because of its proximity can be just large molecules, but the Saharan dust tends to be fine particles that have travelled a great deal of distance, so they would get into the deep parts of the lungs so it is kind of a double effect that they would have,” he explained.
Dr Galiatsatos also noted that “medically vulnerable” individuals would be greatly impacted by the unregulated aggregate dust, noting that, long-term, the damage for persons living close by or greatly exposed to this dust could be “anatomical destruction” to their lungs.
“Breathing [quarry dust] in is going to have two effects – depending on how much you breathe in; if it is a good portion, you are going to get a lot of people who have the immediate lung symptoms—coughing, wheezing, or they may be breathless.
“If that person has an underlying lung condition like asthma, emphysema, or [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease], then it doesn’t take too much inhaling of that dust to have dire consequences,” he noted.
The doctor, who currently works as a pulmonologist for the John Hopkins Bayview Medical Centre, explained that long-term effects of the dust could set residents up for “lung damage, lung scarring, and long-term patients will feel that, you know, having scars on your lungs—as you age—usually means that there is a portion of your lungs that do not work as well as the rest.”
For the many residents in the area, wearing masks, having to keep their windows and doors shut, as well as having to clean their homes several times a day has been a regular experience.
However, Dr Galiatsatos also recommended further steps that can be taken to reduce the impact of the dust on their health.
“Masks can help, but they don’t really eliminate it…but ideally, staying indoors when the dust is at its highest…and when you come inside, take off those clothes that may have the dust on them and put them aside because those exchange of clothes are as important as wearing them, you will still be breathing in the dust that clung to your clothes.
“Having what is called a HEPA filter in your home can definitely help remove air particles, dust and toxins, where I work… I make that case for everyone with asthma, especially in your bedroom,” he said.