Resettlement Progress

In 2002, the Board of Atlantic LNG took a decision to establish a buffer zone around the LNG facility. The Buffer Zone creates a transition space between what is an industrial area and the nearest line of residents. Internationally acceptable safety and risk standards would not have suggested any residential re-locations but Atlantic LNG recognized that it needed to address quality of life concerns for residents who live close to what for many years was a construction site and is now a major industrial facility. “ (Atlantic LNG 2005 Corporate Social Responsibility
Report)

(By Quarter 1, 2009, all but four households had been relocated to Southern Gardens and we now have an agreed plan for the remaining households.)

In July 2008, Atlantic LNG commissioned an independent assessment of our resettlement process. The assessment was completed by Robert Barclay who contributed to the International Finance Corporation Handbook for Preparing a Resettlement Action Plan.

Based on the recommendations, we decided to partner with Habitat for Humanity Trinidad and Tobago, the local affiliate of the international Christian non-profit organisation whose mandate is “to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action.” We have partnered with Habitat for Humanity to help us in the second phase of the resettlement – community building. Specific goals of the partnership will be to:

• Assist in the transfer of deeds to the individual householders;
• Survey the need for capacity building, life skills training and community
  investment programmes in Southern Gardens and suggest actions to address these
  needs.