Jun 2008 Financial News

90-acre quarry for Arawak

Jun 16, 2008

ARAWAK CEMENT COMPANY LIMITED is about to carve out 90 acres of St Lucy, which it purchased for $7 million to use as a limestone quarry.

Officials of Trinidad Cement Limited (TCL), which owns Arawak, confirmed to BARBADOS BUSINESS AUTHORITY last week that the planned quarry would stretch from Bromefield to Hannays in the northern parish.

According to TCL officials, the quarrying site was twice as large as Arawak's present facility at Checker Hall in the same parish.

It was acquired in January 2007 from Fairfield Investments Limited, TCL revealed, and Arawak would begin extracting deposits next year.

Executives of the Caribbean's lone cement producer said the new quarry would extend its subsidiary's supply of raw material for cement manufacturing by 25 years.

This supply guarantee would increase "kiln raw material input and [promote] business continuity", the TCL statement said.

Arawak is currently sourcing limestone from its Checker Hall facility.

Meanwhile, St Lucy MP Dennis Kellman did not express concern about the sprawling quarry when BARBADOS BUSINESS AUTHORITY sought comment on Friday evening.

"This is something that was known to me and known to the residents for a while. There was a town hall meeting on this issue, an environmental impact study was gone through, so it is nothing new," he said.

The Government backbencher pointed out that the land-use policy for the area was adjusted in 1980, "designating that land industrial land".

Meanwhile Sir Charles Williams, who owns C. O. Williams Asphalt & Quarries Ltd., said the 90-acre site was substantial, adding: "The 90 acres [represents] all the quarries in Barbados four times over."

Further, said Sir Charles, it took six to seven years to get quarrying approval in Barbados.

Chief town planner Mark Cummins offered no comment on the matter.


Source:
Stacey Russell
Nation News
Monday June 16, 2008

http://www.nationnews.com/story/349454313281964.php