And in another matter that involves the Department of the Environment, last night, we showed you the footage of that muddy water being pumped into the sea in front of Seine Bight Village on the Placencia Peninsula.
Residents say this effluent, which looks a lot like water pollution, is coming from the construction of a gas station in the community.
You'll remember it as the development that is already generating a fair amount of outrage in that community, and so, the apparent pollution was yet another source of frustration.
7news has been following the story today, and Daniel Ortiz reports:
Yesterday, residents of Seine Bight - and the rest of Belize for that matter - were treated to this ugly sight on the village's beachfront.
This very muddy water was being flushed out in large quantities, and at high pressure, through pipes that end right here at the seaside. You'll notice immediately that this effluent, and whatever is in it, began to discolor the seawater with that murky brown.
Off in the distance, children were swimming in clear, clean water, but that discoloration was slowly creeping toward them.
Village Resident Becky Arzu, who is also a member of the Village Council, told us that she was so distressed by this pollution of this popular recreational spot, she chose to record it and share it publicly with the nation.
Becky Arzu - Concerned Resident/Village Councillor
"I felt unheard. I felt in that moment like, am I the only one who feels this much pain to see the children who are swimming and to see this dirty water going into our ocean, and not knowing what is in the water, not knowing how it will affect us, even if it's not today, tomorrow, or next week, but maybe in the next year or next 5 years."
"It was heart-wrenching to look at, and the fact - of course, violence is not the answer. But, I will tell you, no lie, in my human flesh, I wanted to go and drag that developer, and tell him please take your pipes out of our ocean. That's exactly what I felt yesterday. And with that feeling, I took a video and I shared it because that was the best thing I think I could have done at that time."
For the environmentally-conscious residents of Seine Bight, this discharge into the sea is simply the last straw, and another big misstep is being committed by the developers of that gas station, which continues to attract community rage.
We've seen videos of similar pipes that come out of the property where the controversial gas station is being built. Villagers are absolutely convinced that the run-off into the sea is directly connected to activities taking place on this property.
Becky Arzu - Concerned Resident/Village Councillor
"We had a consultation meeting with them. And in that meeting, the pipe came up, and I wanted - one of my questions was - and I asked the question - has that water been tested that's going into our ocean? And, their claim is that, oh, it's just water off the property. They're just taking the excess water off the property, but [they] can't tell us that they have records of the water being tested. So, I don't trust that water, and yes, it is coming from their development."
Those in opposition to the development have reiterated that aren't resisting it for the sake of being intransigent or difficult to please. They say that the location selected is simply unsuitable for a number of reasons. Chief among those concerns are safety and health concerns.
Arthur Williams - Resident
"The gas station is not welcomed in the said location, due to certain factors. We have a lot of asthmatic people in the area. We don't have a resident nurse. It's a fire hazard. We don't have fire services nearby. So, we're asking the developers and the people who approved this project to consider moving that project from the location."
We welcome development. We welcome the gas station, however, it's the location that's the problem.
Becky Arzu
"There is a temple, a Dabuyaba [is what] we call it in Garifuna. And this is where the ceremonies will take place with our ancestors, etc. It's directly [a few] steps away from this development as well. So our culture, we as a people, are being interrupted by this project. I asked questions to the departments that are responsible for fire, etc., if something - if an explosion will happen at that location, how fast will they come to our community? As a matter of fact, there was a fire that happened in that area where that gas station is going, and that house burnt down because the fire truck is in Placencia, which is not too far from Seine Bight, I must add. However, it could not be here in time to put out the fire from a wooden house. So, imagine an explosion."
"If they have an oil spill, look at the water coming from the gas station right now. It's going into our ocean, where do they plan to put their wastewater that will be mixed with oil. Where will it go? It's not the project itself. It's the location."
