But though the signatures have been handed over, and a letter has been sent by the Coalition of Environmental NGO's asking GOB to pause all EIA's, and to disallow the resubmission of applications after a first denial, the minister said it's not so easy.
He explained that there is a process, and legislation that needs to be checked, so that the government doesn't run into a lawsuit.
He also added that he didn't exactly agree with the Minister of Natural Resources, who adamantly said that he agreed with the NGO's that companies should not be allowed to constantly resubmit EIA applications after being denied. Instead, he said that there are certain circumstances that should warrant another opportunity.
Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development
"I think it has to do with whether or not the process has started or not because you see what has happened on various occasions, once a process starts, and you stop it, now this investor that has already made certain investments will threaten you, take you to court, and then the government has to pay millions of dollars and if you can't and then you kick it down the road, you're paying not only what the court decided but also you start paying humongous interest like what recently happened. So in the case of Vulcan, they haven't applied so government can say it is not the type of development that we want. In the case of this one with Waterloo, that was already in the pipeline so we received it and we're trying to go through the process, we're trying to make certain that they go through all the compliance. Of course, there is going to be concern initially, the original project, to take that material close to the reef, of course that was a no no, that was discarded completely and then they started to work with other submissions where other submissions where they were trying to say well okay we'll remove the material, some onshore, some near shore, and some offshore, and so there were some missing points. If you recall, part of the criticism, even questions from the media, was why the letter was written saying it is not approved at this time. It was because they required to submit certain information that wasn't received on time so then they had already made that recommendation. That sort of opened the doors to say if you submit the information that's required then it can be reconsidered and then you can submit based on the legislation."
"I think that everybody who is an investor whether you are foreigner or a Belizean, if you submit a project and it is denied because you were at fault in not submitting a certain information or not doing a certain study, I don't see why it should be denied if you can come later on and remedy that. I mean you do that in everything."
Reporter
"But Minister, in that case they were given due process, because my understanding is that the NEAC requested several times "unu submit this", but they were not meeting those request."
Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development
"So that's why, the regulation doesn't have a timeline. Thats why I am saying we have to come back and look at the regulations and see where certain things can be put in there to make the amendments that will be suitable. I'm telling you, you do it now and then a few years later you might say we missed out something else, you have to put in something else, because now we have another agreement, another convention that we sign on to, so that we will have to do another amendment."
"In a way I think what we have to realize is that it will be a dynamic process, it will be subject to change, but we have to maybe sit down with all the partners to make sure that we put in as much as we can now, so that then there is least amount of changes that can be put on going forward."
But one of the main questions on the table was how would Waterloo's resubmission affect government's Blue Bond commitments? In regards to the bond's Conservation Fund Agreement, the government committed to the EIA regulations being re-visited before any new projects are approved.
While the PM had said that the ESIA was submitted prior to the Blue Bond, the environmentalists disagree.
We asked the Minister for clarification.
Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development
"My position is that the EIA regulations have been there and so when they submitted their application, this was already in process. The Environmental Social impact Assessment is part of that just that what they're trying to do is to categorize the different schedules so that you can have one that is, whether it's in size of mega projects, large projects, medium sized project but also on the potential impact on the environment or on the social side or whether or not it's not going to bring any kind of economic prosperity in terms of job creation and funding to the country, then you categorize them as such and so then you look at that. Remember that the DOE really in true nature is to look at the Environmental Impact but because you can't do one without the other so we're trying to see now how you can bring other groups, maybe the Ministry of Human Development that would look at the social side and participation and maybe from the community and private sector or an NGO or the business community to have participate on the social side if you have a professional that's also trained to look at it from that standpoint but you'd have to look at, I wouldn't be able to say for certain which one came first but I am certain that the regulations are there for 2003, 2007, and the latest amendment was 2020, there's none after 2020."
"The Blue Bond is not a piece of legislation so the Blue Bond would have to fall within what is current or if there is an amendment that can be made while that is also now in process because that is not a piece of legislation so if I try to understand fully, possibly what we can do is now look at what the Blue Bond entail in its entirety and then to see what government's commitments are within the Blue Bond and then to see how we can gear those changes that can be made within the legislation to also be able to appreciate what's going to be the benefits from the Blue Bond but we do not compromise that."
But when we asked Habet for his personal views, he said plainly, he doesn't think the Belize District needs more than one cruise port.
Reporter
"Sir, but as the minister of sustainable development and the environment and what not, what's your personal take on the project on a whole knowing that it has been denied before, it will have, whether or not it gets approved, it will have impacts on the environment and maybe its best we just leave the environment as it is. I am sure you thought of this and you've been concern, so we get your personal views?"
Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development
"My personal view is that I think I've come on record before that I don't believe that we need maybe more than one, especially if one is already going to have 4 docking areas for cruise ships. Now, you will also look at whether or not these that are going to be built are viable, will they work in the long term, which one will start off and then eventually become a white elephant - all these things you have to start looking at and they are real, so you have to think about it."
"From the environmental side, is the visitors' sites, because how many tourists can we hold on our visitors' sites. So because of that we are having conversations with the minister of tourism to see if we have to start soon developing other sites so that visitors can move to other areas of the country depending on where they coming into and how quickly they will be able to come back to their ship, but it cannot be the same ATM, it cannot be the same places that they visit, because there is going to be an overkill."
