The stink at Taelefaga caused by the water at Hydro Power station in the village is not new. The issue has been the subject of several reports and studies dating back 20 years ago.
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The point was made by the Tautua Samoa Party’s Shadow Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Toeolesulusulu Cedric Schuster, during an interview with the Samoa Observer yesterday.
According to the Member of Parliament, the reports done in the past all had similar recommendations in terms of what was needed to be done to solve the problem.
This was to pipe the water causing the stench directly to the sea.
Toeolesulusulu said it would have been much cheaper for the government to solve the problem then.
Now, the cost of installing the pipelines as well as the impact on the environment has escalated to the point the government will be looking at millions to stop the stench.
Toeolesulusulu pointed to the fact that the damage has already been done.
He said many fish species that used to exist in the area are no longer sighted.
The Member of Parliament also believes that coastal erosion has become one of the main issues at Ta’elefaga.
“The environmental cost will continue to increase. That doesn't include the economic costs as well as the impact on the health of residents,” he said.
“The government should have planned for this a long time ago.”
The Aana Alofi M.P. said the government has a responsibility to deal with the issue and he urged them to prioritise it.
On Monday last week, angry villagers turned off the generators running the station.
They were switched back on momentarily after an emergency meeting between the government and Taelefaga the following day.
Asked for a comment yesterday, the General Manager of the Electric Power Corporation (E.P.C), Tologata Tile Tuimaleali’ifano, said they have already started work to address the concerns of the village.
One of the solutions, he said, is to find a way to get rid of the water from within the hydro station that’s causing the smell.
Taelefaga high chief Leuta said that their village will continue to turn off the engines if the stench persists.
Last week, a government delegation met with the Village Council of Taelefaga in a bid to resolve a long-standing dispute.
The emergency meeting followed the latest decision by Taelefaga to switch off the generators at the hydro station after the government failed to live up to its promise to fix a foul stench the villagers have had to put with for years.
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