The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

A social media campaign detailing an illegal coal venture near his home has gathered wide-spread support for one Excellence Estate resident and could offer some resolution to a problem that has plagued his community for more than three years.

In a video posted to Facebook this week, homeowner Don Williams exposes a coal-production venture that he alleges was allowed to "take shape" just yards from his front door.

In the nearly five-minute long video, Mr Williams, 31, while touring the site, gave an account of how the illegal venture resulted in increased medical and electrical costs for his family.

The video has brought dozens of responses and scores of reactions since its release. The post even featured a comment by We March founder, Senator Ranard Henfield, who offered some advice to the suffering homeowner.

In an interview with The Tribune Friday, Mr Williams said inaction over the course of two years, despite his complaints, allowed the venture to re-start on three separate occasions.

Each time, expanding its level of production.

"Despite my complaints to community officials, politicians and other government officials, these persons were allowed to start-up, get push out, rebuild, get ended by a hurricane and rebuild. All without being properly checked by law enforcement. All in the very same area, near my home," he claimed.

Mr Williams said the operation, in its first manifestation, appeared in late 2014, some distance away from his home.

"I remember seeing smoke one day, it was a short distance from my home, and I paid it no mind. Not too long after that, what I thought was a one-off thing, was now a big deal, just outside my yard.

"I hired a bulldozer early last year and I had the operation pushed through. They then cleared the lot right next to me, and I had that mowed down too.

"They moved further back and then the hurricane came through and wiped that out. Guess what, they came back yet again.

"Now, they are operating a bigger, more dangerous operation," he added.

Mr Williams said he opted to produce his video after having several incidents with the group, asking them to desist, and being brushed off as nothing more than an irritant.

"This was my last hope. I tried it all," he told The Tribune. "My daughter is out of the country. She's on respiratory medication. My wife is also out of the country. My life is upside down because of this."

"All I wanted was help."

Mr Williams said that "help", started to stream in after his video went viral this week.

"Thanks to the video we have gotten more traction in the last 24-hours than I had in the past two-years," he said.

"Urban Renewal, the Department of Forestry and the Ministry of Housing; all have made contact and plans are underway to fix this and I couldn't be happier."

"This is my home. I can't just pack up and leave. I am happy that this is close to being over and my life could get back to the way it once was."

Calls placed to the Department of Environmental Health Service (DEHS) up to press time were unsuccessful.

DEHS Director Melanie McKenzie, via text message Friday, indicated that she was "out of country", but indicated that all queries on the matter would be directed to her office.