Photo taken on Saturday past
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Nassau, Bahamas - 6 months ago the committee
raised concern about the effect of the proposed extension of Arawak
Cay on the environment and more particularly Saunders Beach. The government
dismissed our concerns as alarmist, political in nature and that we
were representing a special interest. Our only “special interest”
has been the Bahamian people and protecting our country for future generations.
Even though we warned
that the beach would slowly disappear, even we are surprised at the
deterioration in 6 short months. The beach has eroded 3-4 feet in certain
areas and rocks are now exposed where there was sand a few months ago.
The Environmental Impact
Assessment(EIA) conducted by Blue Engineering stated that the beach
would not disappear. We now understand that Blue Engineering was handpicked
by the Minister for the Environment, Mr. Earl Deveaux, without any input
from the BEST Commission. We also now understand that the principal
of Blue Engineering is the sister of a senior person in one of the shipping
companies who is to be part owner in the port at Arawak Cay.
We would like all of
the experts to now tell the Bahamian people where the beach has gone.
Where is Blue engineering? Where is the Bahamas National Trust? Where
is the Mr. Earl Deveaux ? Where is the Prime Minister? They all told
us the beach would not disappear. What has happened here at Saunders
beach borders on criminal.
Photo taken on Saturday past
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In an effort to save
Saunders beach and stop the container port from going to Arawak Cay
thousands of Bahamians signed a petition which we delivered to the Prime
Minister on the 12 November 2009 on their behalf (see attached letter).
We invited the Prime Minister to stop this project until the government
and the Bahamian people could appreciate the environmental and financial
impact of this project on the community. We heard nothing, but the sounds
of bulldozers, dump trucks and tractors continued.
It is now clear to
all Bahamians, that the greedy Arawak Cay port special interest group
conspired with the Deputy Prime Minister, Brent Symonette and the Minister
for the Environment Mr. Earl Deveaux, to move the container port to
Arawak Cay at all cost. That cost is now obviously the complete destruction
of Saunders Beach and the surrounding environment at Arawak Cay. Saunders
Beach will soon be no more.
We are appalled and
disgusted. Mr. Earl Deveaux is the worst Minister of the Environment
the country has seen. He sat silently as the wet lands behind Vista
Marina were destroyed to make way for the new road. We call for his
immediate resignation as his duty to the Bahamian people obviously conflicts
with the interest of his “friends” and the port special interest
group. Mr. Earl Deveaux has mislead the public and betrayed the sacred
trust the Prime Minister and the Bahamian people placed in him to protect
our environment for future generations. We call on him to now
do the honourable thing and follow in the honourable steps of Mr. Sydney
Collie.
