One year ago we broke the story of the Vulcan threat to Gales Point Manatee. Since then, Vulcan Materials Company has doubled down on its public relations - and launched a website and Facebook page for what it calls the White Ridge Project.
Still the company is going into a headwind - because apart from the community, Ministers and CEOs have gone on record to speak against even the possibility that the company would get its way.
But we wanted to get some science behind that very emphatic "no" and this afternoon Courtney Menzies spoke with the Executive Director of The Belize Audubon Society to find out what the mining operation would have meant for Gales's pointe's wildlife.
Amanda Acosta, Executive Director, Audobon
"So, the White Ridge property is a combination property. It goes from the water, from the beach edge all the way into almost abutting Manatee reserve. The property. has hills, one of the hills their interested in mining and it has. It has previously been used for citrus and shrimp farming. Where the concerns in that property lie is the shore. The shoreline on that property is very popular for tea turtles, as we know the sea turtles, well all of our sea turtles are endangered. They are at risk venerable species and so we have grave concerns as to any activities on the beach side of that property. Additionally, Clearwater which is where Mr. Jamal works, his data has shown clearly also that a very robust. population of manatees live in that area and that surrounding area so it's a very ecologically rich location and there are species that are of important concern."
