AFTER six months as chairman of the Environmental Management Authority (EMA), Prof Julian Kenny has resigned, saying yesterday this Government does not care about the environment.

Kenny both submitted his resignation to Housing and Environmental Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal and announced his decision in a media release yesterday.

Contacted yesterday, Moonilal said: "I have received an e-mail copy of the resignation of Prof Kenny this morning; it came as a shock to me and other officials of the EMA. I will try to meet and discuss the issues raised by the professor later in the week. I thank Prof Kenny for his service and wish him all the best; I am confident that he will continue to be of service to the environmental community."

EMA's managing director Dr Joth Singh said yesterday Kenny's move had come as a surprise.

"It was unexpected and I am very disappointed," Singh said, "We had an excellent relationship."

Asked if Kenny's departure will stall the EMA in any way, Singh said: "I think we will keep going forward. He (Kenny) set an aggressive agenda, and the platform will continue to be utilised."

Singh said he supports Kenny's view of quarrying, and the EMA continues to hope the rules will be converted to their original state.

Kenny said in a telephone interview yesterday afternoon that Moonilal had already received and acknowledged the letter.

Kenny cited the Government's failure to reinstate the original certificate of environmental clearance (CEC) rules that govern quarrying as the primary reason behind his decision to leave.

The law was amended in 2007 by the then People's National Movement (PNM) government to allow quarry operators to begin clearing on sites of 150 acres or less.

Kenny said yesterday he was disappointed that action has not yet been taken by the current government to change this law.

Speaking to the Express, Kenny said he views most sanctioned quarries as a "licence to despoil" the environment.

Asked whether he might not have succeeded in making the changes at some point, Kenny said: "I have tried and I am afraid, I was unsuccessful. I don't think this or any other government gives a damn about the environment."

Kenny said he did not discuss his decision with Moonilal prior to submitting his resignation as he did not think it was necessary.

In a media statement issued yesterday, Kenny said:

"On joining the board of the Environmental Management Authority a little over six months ago, I did so assuming a few expectations that had previously been communicated in writing to the Minister of Housing and the Environment that might have been realised in that period. These were, however, in no way conditions to acceptance of public responsibilities.

Although in these six months, the board of the EMA has innovatively guided the processes of management of the authority I was unable to achieve even the very least of my expectations and consequently have given notice of my resignation from the board."

Kenny also made reference in the release to noise pollution as a serious problem, the management of which could have been dealt with through existing laws such as the Summary Offences Act and the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act, at least partially alleviating it or reducing its negative impact on citizens.

"One of my not unreasonable expectations of the present Government was that there would be reinstatement of the original CEC rules Activity 23, regarding non-metallic mineral mining, and Activity 8, regarding land and forest clearing," he stated in the release.

"The reversal required no more than a ministerial order for negative resolution by Parliament. The continuance of those amended CEC rules simply makes the Environmental Management Authority powerless and irrelevant to its purpose."

Kenny stated both legal and illegal quarrying have ravaged the environment and will continue to do so, "making a mockery of the preamble to the Environmental Management Act and its reference to sustainable development".

Quarrying is also severely reducing the free services of natural systems to our society, he added.

"A suitable amendment reinstating the original CEC rules was prepared by legal officers at the authority and submitted to the ministry some six months ago," Kenny stated.

"Since then, the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries has announced the granting of several new licences, with a vague promise of some new legislation.

"No amount of PR gloss about greening the economy or relaunched websites will cover the irresponsibility of officially sanctioned unregulated land clearing and mining, for which future generations will have to pay," the release added.