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Why is it that a government would step
into a pollution case and ask the local residents not to pursue legal
action? Instead the Liberian government urged arbitration. Ok I
guess, but 2 years since the pollution at the Firestone Rubber
Plantation on the edge of Monrovia nothing has changed. They've built
community buildings and improved the roads except they haven't
stopped the pollution. Wouldn't that be the first thing they should
do?
We went with two journalists from Power
TV, to update the story. When we arrived at the village of Kparn Yah
it didn't take long for someone to call the local chief and have him
come down to meet us. In the waiting time we wandered back to the
stream, which still appears a cloudy colour. We spoke to local
residents who have complaints of stomach ailments and of the smell of
the water. Of course there are new wells, but they still take the
water from the underground aquifer. So it's still polluted. While we
where there a local Firestone crew was chlorinating a well. Great,
nice patch work, but why wouldn't they address the problem, and get
rid of the pollution. I guess I'm missing something, but I'm a
little thick sometimes.
When we went back to meet our driver
and truck, (more on that later), we finally had an audience with the
local chief who said that things are fine and improving. Just that
it's a four year plan. He was well dressed, well spoken, (read:
well-briefed,) and it was clear that if we had spoken to him first we
would have been given the boot.
We headed off to get some pictures of
the source of the pollution and shoot Henry's on camera. Well it
wasn't long before security showed up and said we where trespassing
and there are rules. Apparently the public road isn't public. We
had what we needed and headed off.
Next stop the EPA. They apparently have
no comment as it is a Presidential committee that is in control.
They have no background, and no interest in this pollution. Let me
get this right; the EPA doesn't look at pollution? Me thinks there
is a problem here.
The boys of Power TV filed their update
and it was well-received. They texted us at 7:30 am the next day to
see what we where up to and what they could work on with us today.
All in all a very interesting exercise
in local reporting here in Liberia.
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