Montserrat Today
For Monday December 22, 1997
Presented by the Information and Education Unit
of Montserrat's Emergency Department
THE VOLCANIC EXPLANATION:
For most of the weekend the predominant signals from the Soufriere Hills Volcano have been from rockfalls with some long period, hybrid and volcano-tectonic earthquakes.
On Sunday afternoon there was a small pyroclastic flow down the Tar River Valley, in addition there was some mudflows in the exclusion zone caused by heavy rain Saturday night / Sunday morning.
For most of the weekend the dome was covered in cloud but it is still thought that the dome is growing with the main growth area above Galways.
The air quality continues to be monitored and over the weekend the central and northern zone's air quality was very good. O.E.C.S. MISSION VISITS:
A mission from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is visiting Montserrat today. The mission led by Swinburne Lestrade the Director General of the OECS will present a cheque on behalf of the OECS Units and Institutions to the Montserrat Relief Fund.
The Managing Director of the Eastern Caribbean Drug Service, who is part of the mission, will also make a presentation of computer equipment to the Health Services of Montserrat.
The mission will also visit housing projects, the hospital and the Little Bay Jetty Project as well as meet with the Chief Minister and the Governor.
LEGCO TO MEET TOMORROW:
The Legislative Council (LEGCO) will hold its final meeting for 1997 tomorrow at Mc Chesney's. This will be an opportunity for LEGCO to say a formal goodbye to Attorney General, Gertel Thom who is leaving the post and will be attending for the last time.
Several bills are carded for discussion at the LEGCO meeting which is carded for 10 am.
ROADS CUT TO NEW DUMP SITE:
The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Communication and Works have been liaising to cut new access roads to the new solid waste dump site at New Windward.
Recently the site, which will be accessed from Jack Boy Hill, was approved for use by a team of consulting Environmental Engineers. Some major roadworks will be needed to gain complete access to the site and these are underway at present
The site will also be fenced to prevent stray animals from wandering on to it. The present temporary dump site at Little Bay is to be emptied to the new site.
SERVICES TO MONTSERRAT FOR CHRISTMAS WEEK:
Montserrat can be accessed from Antigua before Christmas as follows:
Ferry: December 22/23/24 depart Heritage Quay Antigua at 4 pm (check in one hour before). Tickets can be purchased from the small office at the rear of the Heritage Quay Hotel for EC$75 one way.
Helicopter: December 22/23/24 depart V.C. Bird Int'l Airport at 7.30 am, 3 pm and 4.30 pm. Check in at Carib Aviation's desk at least one hour before. One way tickets can be purchased at the check-in counter for EC$88. The luggage capability of the helicopter is very limited. For all reservations call M.A.S. in Montserrat at 664 491 2533. (Note reservations can not be made in Antigua).
There will be no services to/from Montserrat on Christmas Day
MONTSERRAT REPORT:
(continued from last week)
(36) We recommend that funds for the development of Montserrat should come from a United Kingdom government department other than DFID. This particular recommendation is in no sense a reflection on the quality of DFID's work. It is simply a recognition that responsibility and resources should go together, and that the bilateral budget should be safeguarded for its primary purpose.
(37) We recommend that the source of future funding be considered within the current review of the administration of the Dependent Territories (DT's). Funds might come from the Foreign Office or from another specified department with DT responsibilities. The important point is that responsibility and resources for the DT's should be in the same department. We do not believe that the reasonable assistance needs of the DT's should be a first call on the development programme. Our responsibilities to DT citizens are of a greater and different order to our more general humanitarian responsibilities to the developing world and involve different priorities. That should be recognised in the structure and funding. (more tomorrow)
More information tomorrow....................................