The public consultation on the Waterloo Port Expansion Project is scheduled for September First at the Biltmore.
The main item on the table is going to be the 455-page Environmental & Social Impact Assessment, which is buffered by an almost 500-page annex.
Tonight, Daniel Ortiz has compressed the topic into a single comprehensive story with everything you need to know about the Waterloo proposal:
The mega-development envisioned for the Port of Belize is called the "Cargo Expansion and Construction of Cruise Terminal & Cruise Tourism Village"
The 455-page Environmental & Social Impact Assessment document was prepared by Nextera Environmental and Engineering Consultants. The scientific justifications for the project are dense, complex, and appear to be thorough and exhaustive on a range of important environmental concerns.
The authors of the ESIA open by making the point that all the major cruise lines have expressed their intention to end tendering operations by 2024. That's the old way of doing things, and it is a major part of the operations at the established Fort Street Tourism Village.
The international cruise industry has shifted to bigger cruise ships, referred to as "Oasis-Class." Those ships can hold up to 5,000 passengers, and they're basically sky-scrapers cruising on the ocean. And with the effort to mimic so many vacation experiences like surfing, rock climbing, ice skating, a mini water park, and zip-lining, it's no wonder that these types of vessels require 11 meters of depth, at the bare minimum, to safely dock - and in this proposal - right up to the Belize City shoreside.
The pitch for the Port's expansion is that the developers will be able to upgrade their operations to a "state-of-the-art" deep-water facility that could offer tourists the Belizean guest experience that all major cruise lines are seeking.
We note that this is not the first time that the Port of Belize has pitched an upgrade for its facilities. In 2005, the NEAC approved an environmental impact assessment for a cruise port and terminal, back when Luke Espat owned PBL. There were groundbreaking and ceremony to celebrate that supposed upgrade for the tourism industry, but in the intervening years, it faded into a forgotten fantasy:
Jules Vasquez
"The Carnival Group, your great friend, Giora Israel. They had a problem with you because you wanted to dominate the construction of the Port. You wanted to be [an] architect, consultant, designer, engineer, and contractor."
Luke Espat - Former Owner, Port of Belize Limited
"Well, that's an argumentative fact that you can say that my spirit is a very dominant one, and if I do something, I want to get it done. But, I am a no-nonsense individual if we're going to do something. I will not pay $500 for a toilet. This is not the US Government. I would not have justified certain expenditures that you would pay for the rest of your life and have a project done for 200 million dollars that can be done for 70 million dollars."
Now, in a proposed revival of that old project, the current Port's management wants to construct these cruise tourism facilities as part of a package deal with the upgrade of their bulk cargo facility.
The developers want to construct two piers that could accommodate Oasis-class vessels, a cruise tourism village, an expanded cargo facility, construction of a Jane Usher Boulevard Extension, construction of a cruise terminal access and arterial roads, and a deepening of the Port's access channel from 7 and a half meters to 12 meters.
The consultants did make a projection on the possible negative impacts that the different phases of the project could have on the surrounding environment.
Those impacts range from minor to major.
But, the element of the project that has generated the most concern about its feasibility is the proposed dredging of the Belize City coastline in the designated project area. It is contemplated that in order to complete this project at its current scaling, 7.5 million cubic meters of dredged material would need to be removed to allow the Port's access channel to accommodate those Oasis-class cruise ships for shoreside berthing.
The ESIA lists multiple options for disposal of the dredge spoils as either onshore, nearshore, or offshore dumping sites. The resubmitted document points out that one of the best options is to dispose of some of the spoils on the Port's property, use some in the construction, and dispose of the rest of it in nearshore areas.
File: September 24, 2021
Allan Herrera - Team Leader, Nextra Environmental and Engineering Consultancies
"They will be creating berms within the EPZ area of the Port of Belize. That will consume a good amount of the dredge spoils; in addition you have the port area itself. the piers and the docking area and the commercial areas. Those will consume a lot of the dredge spoils, the better portion of the dredge spoils and it is only the portion that cannot find use commercially or for construction that will need to be dispose within the near shore areas."
Whichever they choose to commit to, the environmentalists will most likely raise similar objections to those they voiced during last year's public consultation.
File: September 24, 2021
Janelle Chanona, VP, Oceana
"This is all going to be taking place in the Caribbean Sea and it won't stay there, it will move, it will go further down the coast, it will move into the rest of the sea, so even the comment in terms of it will not affect the Belize barrier reef. That cannot be a statement of fact until we see exactly what plays out with all of this material and where it ends up. It's not going to stay where you put it down."
Interviewee
"I appreciate your perspective; I think its been a complicated line, because you are predicating your comment on this assumption of yours that the proposed methodology won't work. My firm has received 5 million worth or bridge projects. The protection that are being offered for this project are absolutely used throughout the world in areas with very sensitive environments effectible."
Of note, however, is that one of the proposed dumping sites of dredge spoils has been used in the past. During a 2001/2002 dredging campaign to deepen the port's access channel, the area pictured in this photo was used as a disposal site. The crafters of the EIA note that the previous disposal has forever changed that portion of land mass.
Of course, the PBL project proposal may run into other headwinds. That's because, as viewers remember, Waterloo Investment Holdings Limited accused the National Environmental Appraisal Committee last year of behaving corruptly.
Indira Craig - 7News Anchorwoman The CEO of Waterloo Investment Holdings, Stewart Howard, wrote to Dr. Williams to complain about several matters - one of them being alleged bribes that NEAC members asked for. The letter speaks about various unprecedented scrutiny, roadblocks, and delays the project has had to endure due to the Department of Environment but then goes on to say quote, "The most alarming and inappropriate obstruction we have received was from several NEAC members, who, at different stages of the NEAC approval process, have directly and indirectly approached us and offered to 'assist' in answering of NEAC questions in exchange for financial remunerations." End quote.
Not only did Waterloo challenge the body which controls which developer gets the environmental green light for their project. They made one of the most serious claims of dishonesty against senior public officers.
Of course, the press kept asking about those allegations.
File: December 17, 2021
Dr. Kenrick Williams, NEAC Chairman/CEO Min. Sustainable Dev.
"We received some allegations of malfeasance against some of the members of NEAC. That's an ongoing investigation; we have to look into the truth of those claims because they have implications for the public regulatory process. We have to look into the claims and then take action based on that. As I indicated, they have some implications for the process, so we want to ensure that this public process - the integrity of the process is maintained."
Reporter
"Have they produced any evidence as to what they assert they can prove?"
Dr. Kenrick Williams
"It's an ongoing investigation, and we are trying to get information to substantiate those claims so that we can move forward."
Reporter
"Did they produced any yet?"
Dr. Kenrick Williams
"We have not gotten any information as yet."
Two months later, the substantive minister made a pronouncement that Waterloo hasn't provided any evidence - despite numerous requests - to prove their corruption allegations. So, no official investigation could be commenced.
File: February 4, 2022
Orlando Habet - Minister of Sustainable Development
"Madam Speaker the allegations are of concern to my ministry as they make reference to the integrity of high level public officers that includes CEOs, heads of departments and highly trained technical officers and in addition NGO representatives and a representative from the private sector in the national environmental appraisal committee and so to further answer the question the steps taken were to request that these allegations are made in writing and that evidence is produced that can substantiate the allegations. I have personally engaged with the CEO of Waterloo Holdings Limited and 2 other of their staff in early December in an online virtual meeting where I requested such evidence of the allegation of unethical behaviour of the NEAC members. To date non has come to my office, none has been made available. Until such information is produced it would be unreasonable, unethical and unprofessional to pursue to investigate the likes of these professionals."
Again, the public consultation is on September first at 6:30 pm at the Biltmore.
