Crane residents share mixed reviews on EPA’s final report on seepage

Dec 17, 2024 News

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Kaieteur News– Residents of Crane, West Coast Demerara (WCD) who have been affected by the seepage from the ground into their homes have shared mixed feelings about the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s final analysis of the situation.

The EPA has wrapped up its investigations into the recent seepage of a substance from the ground there, and have concluded that there are no environmental or health risks to residents.

In a press release issued last week, the EPA said after having conducted both laboratory and field testing, it has concluded that there is neither health nor environmental risks evident in the substance that was collected.

Kaieteur News first reported that Crane residents were living in constant fear for their health since the appearance of the mysterious substance started on their floor tiles mid-October.

The affected residents include Basmatie Singh and her son of Nouvelle Flanders/Crane and Nandani Singh and her family of Crane Housing Scheme.

At one home, the seepage had resulted in strange odours and health-related concerns, while in others, damaged floor tiles. And while initial tests from the seepage found sulphur dioxide, a harmful substance (SO2) which according to the American Lung Association is a gaseous air pollutant, composed of sulphur and oxygen, the EPA debunked the initial test results as inaccurate stating that their equipment had malfunctioned.

In response to the report, Basmatie Singh said that while she is not quite satisfied with the manner in which the investigation was conducted and concluded by the EPA and other agencies, she is forced to move forward with her life.

“Me can’t really do nothing about what the EPA say. If them said it not dangerous, I got to take their word for it and move on with my life. But how they said first that it is dangerous then change they mouth will always bother me,” she said.

The woman, who shares her Nouvelle Flanders/Crane home with her adult son, said that she has already started to have work done to restore the affected area of her home. “We had to break up all the floor tiles in middle of the living room so that the EPA could do their investigation, but we already started to seal it back together…. We got to move on with our life and hope that this thing doesn’t happen anymore,” she added.

Singh had initially experienced a burning sensation to parts of her body as a result of the fumes emanating from the seepage through her floor tiles.  She however, revealed that the scent and the burning sensation she once experienced has since stopped. “We not getting that scent anymore so it bring me a little relief,” she added.

Meanwhile, Nandanie Singh expressed relief at the EPA’s final report. “We are feeling a bit better about it because we were worried that people might get sick but so far, nobody is sick. We are going about our lives as normal,” she said.

She said too that she plans to continue to monitor the situation. “I will still be on the lookout just in case anything strange happens because I have to inform the EPA,” she added.

Last week, the EPA said in a statement that their investigations revealed that the substance collected from the tiles is not hydrocarbon based, toxic gases and radiation beyond background levels are not present in the homes where the substance was discovered, collected and tested. Surveys of the community and homes have also revealed that the damage to ground tiles is not widespread.

Further, it was noted that a few other households that reported seeing damaged tiles, including a temple in Crane, indicated that this seepage has been occurring several years now and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the release, Executive Director of the EPA, Kemraj Parsram expressed appreciation to all Government ministries and departments, the University of Guyana and other local agencies which assisted with various aspects of the investigations. “Our investigations, which were conducted between October 8 and November 19, 2024, involved a comprehensive scientific analysis, including laboratory testing of the substance collected from the tiles, air quality assessment, soil analysis, and surveys of the community, to determine the extent of the occurrence,” he said.

Added to this, the EPA has also confirmed that there have been no additional reported instances of continued odours. The statement also said various teams from the EPA conducted several visits to the areas where the seepage of the substance was reported.

Expert advice provided to the EPA by other local agencies attributed the damages seen on the tiles to efflorescence. “Efflorescence is a natural occurrence, resulting from soluble salts in construction materials rising to the surface due to moisture,” the statement added.

In addition to its findings, the EPA noted that observations also revealed that structural anomalies, including the absence of the use of Damp Proof Membrane (moisture proofing) and substandard installation techniques, also contributed to the problem.

(Crane residents share mixed reviews on EPA’s final report on seepage)

(Crane residents share  mixed reviews)

 

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• Crane, Environmental Protection Agency, final analysis, Residents, reviews, seepage, West Coast Demerara (WCD

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