Luddites take over in Trinidad and Tobago

I included the whole thing as the Guardian doesn't give permalinks.

Why are we going backwards? There's so many studies that indicate that there is NO radiation threat from the towers, TATT themselves are testing the radiation and finding NONE. The Town and Country Planning process is slow and holding back progress, adn rather than fixing the process to help the country move forward, the Govt decides to tear down the towers and take us back to the dark ages. What next? How do we get to 2020?

There seems to be a reactionary movement against science, technology and industrial development in this country.

But everyone wants to talk on their phone. Everyone wants microwaves, big screen TVs in every room in the house including the bedroom,... these are far worse for health over hte long term than any cell tower.

If this trend continues, I may have to move back to the US - I am not going to stay in a country that is going backwards at the speed this one seems to be... and Bush will be gone, so it will be safe for me to return!

Jacqueline

Read the article now:

After notices to Digicel and TSTT have not been complied with, the Government intends to call in the army to remove illegal cell sites

BY IAN GOODING

The Army will be called in to remove 16 illegal cell sites belonging to both Digicel and TSTT if the companies do not do so themselves.

So said Minister of Planning and Development Camille Robinson-Regis when she addressed members of the T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce at Westmoorings yesterday.

Robinson-Regis said notices were sent to the service providers giving them 28 days to comply with the order to dismantle the illegal sites, and the clock was running. She could not say how many days had already passed.

She said later that she had notified the Minister of National Security Martin Joseph, calling for the army’s help in removing the towers.

He added that the army had the necessary skills to remove the towers in such a way that the companies would not lose their investments.

“We did have a meeting with the companies about the locations of the towers and they did give an undertaking that once the towers were not within the planning policy that they would remove them,” she said.

“They have not done that and we find this difficult to understand since we said we were giving them the opportunity to remove the towers themselves.

“We did not want to go to the stage of enforcement, but we have reached that stage.”

The Minister said that an injunction was taken out restraining the ministry from removing two towers, so that matter would be going to court and would only delay the inevitability of the towers being removed.

She said found it preposterous that an interest group was giving her seven days to meet with it to discuss the cell tower issues.

“It has met with the Director of Town and Country Division and has aired it concerns,” she said.

“I have not received any correspondence for a meeting from it, except for what was in the media...I will not be responding to any threats.”

She said the ministry had mapped all the cell towers and have indicated to the owners the ones that were illegal.

But even as she talked of the strong action against cell towers, the minister later said that the nationwide problem of squatting had not stopped in spite of a law against it.

“The Army will not be used to remove them,” she joked.

Also addressing the breakfast meeting were Sheryl-Anne Haynes, acting director of Town and Country Planning Division and Vidjaya Ramkhalawan of the EMA.

When contacted yesterday evening, TSTT manager, communications and marketing, Amoy Van Lowe could not confirm whether TSTT had received any notice from the Ministry.

She also could not say how the removal of the cell sites would affect TSTT’s network as she was unsure whether TSTT would have to remove more than one tower.