All this week we've been reporting on the situation in the Chiquibul National Park - where a company named Boiton Mining has been found to be not complying with the terms of its Environmental Compliance Plan. A release form the government said it would be applying the unspecified penalties and fines for these infractions. Well, the Belize Network of NGOs says it too is, quote "greatly concerned about the direct threat to the headwaters of the Belize River and other negative economic impacts generated by the Boiton Minerals Ltd."
And, now they say they strongly recommend, quote "that a stop order be issued…on the BML operations... Any impact to the Belize River watershed threatens water and food security for a large percentage of Belizeans, particularly those in the Cayo and Belize Districts." end quote.
Now, BNN is calling on government to provide all relevant and specific information to the public on both the impacts and the benefits to the country of the BML operations.
The release concludes that government should, quote, "strongly reconsider the issuance of licenses to extractive companies such as BML that operate in a remote environment in which there is little to no routine monitoring…"
The attorney for BML told us his client is not afraid to ventilate the matter in court and be vindicated - because only a court can impose fines and penalties.
