Prime Minister Mia Mottley has stepped in to address allegations of severe environmental issues caused by Sandals Resort’s laundry operations in Dover, Christ Church.
The intervention comes after residents raised concerns about noise pollution, foul odours, and lint contamination affecting the surrounding area.
This is not the first time Dover residents have raised environmental concerns about the hotel’s laundry operations. Earlier this year, several residents complained to the media about loud, continuous humming noises and pungent odours. At that time, residents reported having written to the resort’s management on numerous occasions without receiving a satisfactory response.
During a town hall meeting at Christ Church Foundation School on Wednesday, Mottley announced that she would instruct the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) to investigate the matter and prepare a report. She also committed to having two area MPs, Adrian Forde of Christ Church West Central and Dr William Duguid of Christ Church West, meet with Sandals’ management to address the concerns.
Dover resident Dulen Bradshaw presented a bag of thick lint collected from her patio.
“I wasn’t aware of the lint but I was aware of the noise,” the prime minister told her. “You have made a case against them.
They have a right to be heard. I am not going to try them in public as I would not agree to try anybody else in public, but you have done enough to ask me to cause both Minister Forde and Senior Minister Duguid to meet with them as a matter of urgency.”
Bradshaw informed the prime minister that while Sandals had discontinued its laundry graveyard shift following complaints, the current operating hours of 7.30 a.m. to 9 p.m. remained problematic.
She described early morning disturbances: “Some mornings around 5.30 am/6 am they wake us by pressure washing, whatever machines they have, they are pressure washing at that time, nonsense.
Then there is a stench.”
The resident also noted that EPD workers had previously conducted investigations into the environmental concerns at Dover.
She added that Ralph Thorne, MP for Christ Church South, had met with Sandals management in 2021 before switching political parties to become Leader of the Opposition.
Appealing for assistance, Bradshaw said: “I need some help, please; in fact, all the residents need help so I am representing all IMPACT of the residents.”
She emphasised the widespread impact: “When you are looking at the environment mentally, physically, financially, they have been totally detrimental to the entire area, so we need some help.”
Her remarks were met with applause from the audience.
Prime Minister Mottley thanked Bradshaw for bringing the matter to her attention.
Efforts to reach Sandals’ communications manager David Hinds for comment on the matter were unsuccessful up to the time of publication. (SZB)
The post Mottley orders investigation into Sandals Resort’s laundry environmental impact appeared first on Barbados Today.