Tonight, two days after villagers from Valley of Peace showed the nation worrying imagery of the air pollution that had overtaken their village, 7News has received reliable reports that a stop order was sent to two of the industrial farming operations thought to be responsible for the smoke, soot, and ash.
It might be a move that's too little too late, but if true it's at least a step in the right direction.
And while we put that question to a D.O.E employee today she remained mum, telling us only that efforts are ongoing to monitor pollution levels in Valley Of Peace even while the department races to update its air monitoring equipment.
Cherisse Halsall was back in the area today and here's her report from Belmopan and Santander's Sugar factory in Valley Of Peace.
Yesterday, we took you to Valley Of Peace, a village that's been heavily affected by the soot, the smoke and the ash coming from surrounding sugar fields.
It's air pollution that has drastically lowered the village's quality of life and put the most vulnerable of its residents at risk of illness.
This afternoon we went to at least one of the sources of that smoke, the nearby Santander Sugar factory.
Where we found mounds that smelled like molasses still emitting smoke.
We went to the Department of the Environment for some answers. Celi Cho, the Head of the DOE's enforcement Unit told us that her department is actively investigating the smoke around Valley of Peace.
Celi Cho, Head of the Enforcement Unit
"Over the weekend the Department of the Environment received reports of a lot of Smoke in the area of Valley of Peace and an officer did go out to respond and investigate the reports received. Upon going out, or by the time we received the reports, and we went out the smoke as seen in the videos that were being circulated had already passed and so we did do checks though to try and see what areas were still being burnt at the time, and as a result, the department has taken certain actions based on our findings."
Cherisse Halsall:
"But, I am sure your investigations had to unearth that these are not just bush fires, these are fires that have been caused by certain industrial interests, correct?"
Celi Cho, Head of the Enforcement Unit
"So we have looked at our files for different activities that we have granted clearance for an area and we have reviewed those files and so we have given certain instructions to, or advice to those companies in the area as well."
Reports say that DOE actually gave the companies stop orders - while they await air quality tests.
Celi Cho, Head of the Enforcement Unit
"At the time he had gone out, the officer, this was on a weekend and so certain things weren't available at the time to him because it was on the weekend but the department, we are in the process of acquiring equipment, equality equipment that can monitor for certain parameters, we have not obtained that as yet we are in the process of doing that and that would help to let us know the quality of the air you know wherever we would put this equipment."
"What we have also been doing in the Belmopan and surrounding community area we have an ongoing equality monitoring program, this one is different from the equipment that we would be acquiring in that these are tubes that we would install in these communities and the tubes stay up for a while capturing the air or what would be the contaminants in the air and we collect those samples and we then send those out for testing."
But while the department awaits the results of those tests, there is no test needed for Valley of Peace residents who've been smothered and smoked out and they're blaming their agribusiness neighbors:
Cherisse Halsall:
"Can you speak to environmental regulations that concern companies that burn fields after harvesting?"
Celi Cho, Head of the Enforcement Unit
"Then, under the pollution regulation, um, that speaks to permission by the department whereby the department when someone applies to emit contaminants into the environment whether it be on land to air or the water, we do have regulations that speak to that, um, we also know that the agriculture department does require a permit for farmers who want to you know burn their land and so like in the notices that we are going to giving out, we do advise of that requirement as well."
Cherisse Halsall:
"So, to your knowledge has there been any application for permits for that area, any, in the last few months, has there been any applications to either your department or to immigration?"
Celi Cho, Head of the Enforcement Unit
"Um, I would not be able to speak to that I would have to check our records and then get back to you about that."
Cho says that right now the department is doing what little they can:
Celi Cho, Head of the Enforcement Unit
"We will be working with the communities in those areas as well as the businesses, um, that would normally do that activity at this time of the year to ensure, to see what measures can be put in place to reduce the exposure to these communities."
7 News reached out to the General Manager of Valley Of peace farms Gilbert Canton who told us quote: "That particular fire was not us. We do some burning in the area but try to minimize the impact on the village." He also told us that "Until [the situation in the village] is resolved I have placed all burning for cane operations on pause for VOPFL." End quote
All efforts have been made to reach a representative from Santander but our news team was told that any such comment would be given in an audio-only format to be recorded in person.
