Mussington says current sand-mining is more dangerous than before as coastal protection from storms has been eroded
Environmentalist John Mussington is concerned that the foundation
of the Palmetto Point area is being removed due to sand-mining
activities there.
Mussington, who is also a member of the Barbuda Council, says that,
for the past several weeks, truckloads of sand have been carted from
that location, and this has created serious environmental
implications.
When the Barbuda Council was carrying out sand-mining activities
in the area, he says, there were complaints about the destruction of
that location and an injunction was taken out to stop them.
However, he claims the work now taking place there is far worse
than what was complained about in the Council’s time.
Mussington says the sand is being removed to Coco Point in order to
shore-up the building project underway there.
The councilman says that Barbudans are now faced with the reality
of their beaches being eroded, which is not good for an island that is
below sea level. And he notes that trees are falling into the nearby
water as erosion is escalating.
Mussington says that, based on what is taking place on Barbuda, if a
hurricane were to hit the island, it would cause even more
devastation than was experienced during Irma, because all of the
coastal protection has been destroyed.