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Last Updated: Feb 6, 2017 - 2:32:04 PM |
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Nassau, Bahamas - Save The Bays reiterated their call for the need for mapping the oil spill at the Clifton power plant in Nassau, based on the recent report by Bahamas Government consultant, Simon Townend, a KPMG (Bahamas) partner, who confirmed that BEC may have potentially massive, but as yet unknown, environmental liabilities arising from oil spillsand other pollution, including at the Clifton power plant.
Romauld "Romi" Ferreira, a director of Save The Bays, has been urging the government-run entity to see the "big picture" by mapping out the total amount of oil lurking in ground water beneath Clifton.
“By laying bare the facts, a true portrait of accountability and recovery should emerge,” Ferreira said. Townend was quoted as saying, “It’s going to take a lot of work and money to figure out what the damage is. It could be $40 million, it could be $80m, it could be over $100 million to sort out the environmental issues. But we don’t know what the figure is until the work is done.”
"This underground plume must be mapped in order to determine the best method of product recovery," Ferreira said. "The product recovery then ought to be led by a suitable qualified private contractor until the target amount of product is recovered. A Freedom of Information Act would guarantee stakeholder access to this information instead of the public being kept in the dark about issues which dramatically impact them." Not only do the bidders for BEC need to know the extent of the problem, but the Bahamian people also have a right to know how much damage has been caused.
Save The Bays Director, Sam Duncombe, echoed Ferreira’s calls for the importance of Freedom of Information act. “None of these proposals for the privatization of BEC have been made public. This appears to be round two of the Government seeking bids to deal with BEC without disclosure. This arrogant attitude was not tolerated then and it will not be tolerated now. The Bahamas is going to have to get a handle on the continued problem of oil spills at Clifton before we attempt to sell BEC, least we find ourselves in a place where the purchaser sues the government (The Bahamian People) for lack of disclosure.”
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Duncombe continues to express her concerns that in addition to their failure to address oil spills at Clifton, the Government’s failure to address alternative energy options continues to place our country in danger.
Duncombe explains, “There is no reason for our energy needs to continue to be at the expense of present and future generations, especially with the infinite and exciting potential of renewable energies in this country such as solar, wind and tidal. Investing in renewables would require retooling both in capital and human investment. The ball lays squarely at Government’s feet to vigorously pursue the renewable energy market. Our government must reduce fossil fuel dependency, maintain energy security and encourage the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. It is essential to the long-term security of The Bahamas that we adopt alternative sources of energy. They must make LEDs and solar water heaters duty free, laws must be changed that allow individuals to install alternative generating power for their homes and businesses, and they must vigorously pursue other initiatives that will secure our energy future with clean, reliable, available, renewable alternatives.”
Save The Bays, a non-profit organisation led by leading members of the Bahamian community, has continued to shine a spotlight on decades of damage to The Bahamas' prized marine environment and to call for the adoption of a Freedom of Information Act. To learn more visit www.savethebays.bs and consider signing their petition to ask the government to implement this act.
© Copyright 2013 by thebahamasweekly.com
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