The Ara Macao Project proposed for the Placencia peninsula continues to attract controversy and generate deep apprehension from many peninsula residents. The development, which proposes to erect a 260 room hotel, 298 villas and 458 condos as well as a golf course and a marina is one of the biggest ever seen in the country, but it hasn't been approved. Presently, the environmental impact assessment is before NEAC, the National Environmental Appraisal Committee. NEAC has sent the EIA back to Ara Macao for further clarification of some technical points in 5 key areas. Yesterday Chief Environment Officer Martin Allegria explained that there are lots of rumors about Ara Macao, but one fact is that it has not been given the green light.
Martin Allegria,
"NEAC members discussed a lot, almost an entire day, that project and it came up with few things that needed to be further addressed. It wasn't convinced entirely that the project had all the angles addressed that it needed to. I have heard a lot of rumors and clamoring and statements out there that the project has been given environmental clearance, that is not so. The NEAC has not even decided yet on a decision. Why? It's waiting for additional information it requires to make its decision more comfortably."
Areas that need clarification include the chemicals proposed to be used on the golf course, the dredging for the marina and water treatment.
