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The Water Pollution (Amendment) Rules 2006 (hereinafter referred to as Rules) was re-laid in parliament in early January 2007 and came into effect on 27^th February, 2007.  The overall objective of the Rules is to improve and preserve water quality in Trinidad and Tobago. 

What does this mean to Petrotrin? 

Pointe-a-Pierre Dam

Petrotrin is now required to be in compliance with these rules. In an effort to be in compliance with the Rules, Petrotrin’s Corporate HSE Department invited the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) to conduct a Sensitisation seminar on the Rules so that all stakeholders at Petrotrin are made fully aware of their requirements with respect to these Rules. This seminar was held at the Cara Suites Hotel and Conference Centre on April 16^th.  

During this seminar, personnel from the EMA explained that in order to comply with the Water Pollution (Amendment) Rules 2006, Petrotrin is required to submit an application for registering sources of water pollutants throughout the company by May 4, 2007. Violation of this deadline will result in a fine of $4000 and $1000 for each day thereafter. 

The Source Registration process will identify companies or organizations that are discharging water pollutants into the environment and how much pollutants are being discharged. 

The EMA stated, “The primary purpose for registering sources of water pollutants is for the Authority to build and maintain an intelligent inventory or record of all water pollutant sources in the country”. 

The Corporate HSE Department is co-ordinating this source registration application process at Petrotrin with guidance from the EMA. 

What happens after Petrotrin registers source of pollutants company-wide? 

There is a second phase to the registration process called the permitting phase where the EMA assesses the sources of pollutants and determines which sources should be permitted. The EMA is in the process of developing the institutional framework for this permitting process. While the permitting system is being put in place by the EMA, companies like Petrotrin will be given a permit to pollute given that these companies can show that there are plans in place to improve their effluent quality. As a good corporate citizen Petrotrin will also be required to start implementing measures to ensure that effluent discharged at both its Land, North and East Coast and Refining and Marketing Operations are in compliance with the second schedule of the Water Pollution (Amendment) Rules 2006.