By Jonique Gaynor, Staff Reporter

Residents of Savanna-La-Mar in Westmoreland may soon know what has been causing the mysterious fog that has been blanketing their community for years.

Earlier this month, THE STAR published a story about a strange fog that had been covering several communities in the Savanna-la-Mar area. According to residents, the fog which usually appears only at a certain time of year, has a very foul odour and severely reduces visibilty, especially at nights. They also said the fog has made residents ill in the past.

When THE STAR first contacted the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), Zadie Neufville, acting manager of public education and corporate communications, said the agency was aware of the problem but had not yet been able to pinpoint a cause.

A senior firefighter from the parish recently contacted THE STAR and explained that the cause of the problem is right before the eyes of the residents and the authorities. He said, "The land is swampy and between February and April is the driest time of the year. The peat that forms underground then ignites and burns underground." Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetable matter and with the right conditions, can be the earliest stage in the formation of coal.

He also sought to explain the foul odour by telling THE STAR that the Cabaretta River that runs from Frome to Big Bridge, one of the most troubled areas is filled with dunder, a yeast-like byproduct of the sugar-making process. He said, "When the sugar company presses out the cane, the dunder is released into the river and it stinks. At anytime when you pass Big Bridge and the crop is on, Big Bridge is stink. So when the peat burns, it mixes with the smell of the river."

He lamented that the fire department is often called to deal with fog, but admits that there is very little they can do. He also revealed that they had met with the authorities before and they had agreed to suck water from the river to dampen the area and prevent the peat from igniting. "It's terrible, man", he said, "When it in the bad season, you cannot even see the vehicle that is in front of you. Sometimes they call us on the scene, but we can't do much about it."

When NEPA was again contacted, Ms. Neufville told THE STAR that she had done checks and heard of the peat connection. She, however, explained that she could not elaborate further as she had to rush off for a meeting.