‘End of the world?’

A member of the public disturbed by dust emanating from a solar power project at the Faleata Race Course said he thought “the end of the world was Sunday.”

Toi Ioane Ilalio, of Vaitele, said the incident happened while he was outside some shops at Tuana’imato when howling winds blew over a storm of dust to where he was.

“I looked up and all I could see was dust everywhere,” Toi said. “We sort of panicked and my daughter tried to reverse the car.

“I said to her to stop because the road was not clear. At that time, I didn't know what was going on. All I remember is that I was scared and I was thinking this is the end of the world.”

Well it wasn't.

The dust storm was from an area cleared for a solar power plant that’s being built there. The project is being carried out by MPower, an Australian company.

The project has already drawn the ire of the owner of Faleata Mini Golf, Morten Hansen, who said the dust from the construction work has cost his company many customers and potential revenue.

What’s more, he claims that local farmers who sell their food products across the road are also suffering from the dust as a result of the project.

For Toi, he was not aware of Mr. Hansen’s complaint.

But what he saw on Sunday was alarming enough he contacted the Samoa Observer to voice his concerns.

“I just saw this massive bowl of dust and I was scared,” he said. “It looked like a tornado. This is the first time I’ve ever seen that in Samoa.

I couldn't see the cars coming and that’s why I told my daughter to stop our car.”

Toi said the construction sight is not only dangerous it is a health hazard for members of the public, especially vendors outside the store where he stopped on Sunday.

“My son went in to buy a newspaper and my windows were down and I saw heaps of dust. I was trying to wind up the window but there was just so much dust everywhere. I couldn’t see properly.”

This, he said, is unhealthy. “There are lot of diseases going around and what is the health department doing about this?”

Toi also questioned the response from the Planning Urban Management Agency (P.U.M.A) of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

He wondered if there was an environmental impact assessment report about the project.

“They shouldn’t leave that thing like that,” he said.“I encourage people around the surrounding area to complain because there are a lot of people having to put up with it. Maybe they don’t have a phone or credit.

“Then the health department when they read the newspaper can investigate this.”

Last week, Mr. Hansen said the company should water the area.

“What’s happening is that the company is developing the solar site within the Faleata race course by taking all vegetation off the surface and levelling it,” he said.

“In the dry season, this is creating a veritable dustbowl that makes it hard for people to breathe during the day near the site. It also puts layers of fine dust on the mini golf course and inside its restaurant, as well as on shelves of the shops nearby.”

Mr. Hansen, his wife Peta Hansen and their 6-year-old baby usually live on-site. Mr. Hansen said they find it impossible to stay home during the day.

“Complaints from us to them and the stores surrounding the horseracing course have fallen on deaf ears with the company. This is why we want to raise this issue publically.”

What really infuriated Mr. Hansen has been the attitude of the company.

“Somebody advised me that if I was so keen to get the ground wet, perhaps I should do a rain dance!

That’s cold comfort for the businesses in the area that see their regular customers go elsewhere because of the dust problem.

“How can you be so arrogant to just sit in your air conditioned office in Sydney and say to do a rain dance?”

Asked for a comment, Construction Manager, Steven Brown, said he was aware about Mr. Hansen’s complaint.

Mr. Brown said the issue is difficult for them because they do not control the wind. He promised, however, that something would be done.

“We are well aware of the health issues and the dust will be controlled,” he said.

According to Mr. Hansen, all it takes is for the contractors to make a small investment into water sprayers that keep the dust down while they are doing the groundwork.

“Surely something can be done to keep the dust problem at bay during the daytime when the diggers are working on-site (6 days a week).

Should Australian profits really take precedence over local business people’s lives?”