The Port of Belize's public consultation for a proposed cargo expansion and cruise port development was held last night at the Biltmore. The 1,200 page EIA is currently available for review and the public got a chance to ventilate their questions and complaints. And the Q&A section saw the panelists a little lost for words. Courtney Menzies has a review of the consultation. Here's her story.
Last night, Belize City residents, environmental NGO reps, business owners, and other stakeholders gathered at the Biltmore Plaza for the public consultation on the Environmental Impact Assessment for the Port of Belize proposed cargo expansion and cruise port development project.
After a 2 hour presentation, they opened the floor for questions and comments from the public. And YaYa Marin Coleman kicked it off with a red-hot request:
YaYa Marin Coleman, UBAD
"Is it possible to ask the NEAC the people who will review and give partial or full environmental clearance for this development, some of them in the room. I would appreciate if you could raise your hands so we know who's making that decision, is that possible? Because we've never seen these people or know who they are and they're making decisions on our behalf. Our organization is asking specifically for a public hearing. In a public hearing the developer is here, they're pitching, they want this project. In a hearing, the people have the opportunity to ask all their comments, concerns. No developer is there which is a different environment. The people are critical and central in any development but the law doesn't give you the power to focus on the people so only organized people can save the people, we have to advocate our own interest because the law doesn't give you the power to do that and that's why we're insisting, members will you raise your hands, the ones that are here? Guess they don't want us to know who they are."
Port Loyola Resident
"What I want to know is what can we put in writing, what can we do to ensure there is a strong commitment from the Port that when everything becomes mechanized, my brethren who are the stevedores, who chase the wheat and who take the containers off the ship won't be at home finding something else to do as a minister once said. The last time we were here in this very same room and to Yaya's point, I also agree that sometimes we need to have these meetings in the neighborhood because a lot of people get disenfranchised, I look around this room and I see a lot of people yes but I can tell you the ones who are actually from Port and it's not the majority. So how equal is this, how fair is it really being?"
Bruce Diaz, Stevedore
"We want this thing to work out and the economy is already going down and it will boost the economy a whole lot so in my point of view as one of the community personnel that's lived there for so long I wish the project goes on because it will give a lot of job opportunity, working, starting the building of it, and when it's completed, we will have job opportunity for the community. I don't want to talk about the next one that's out there, Stake Bank because I will sound like I'm biting but that has nothing to do with the Belizean citizens so I just hope this pulls through and works out for the best."
Jimmy Robinson, Belize Tour Operators and Workers Association
"Im saddened to see that as indigenous Belizeans we supported the industry, we built the industry and how somebody else come in and reap the sweet and right now at the tourist village we are outside looking in so we challenge the government of Belize even though we support this project and we're gonna continue to support, that we want to sign an agreement with you folks for perpetuity that our children's children could be a part of this industry, could be a part of this Port so we don't have to be outside looking in but be inside and paving the way for other Belizeans."
Valdimar Andrade, Executive Director, TASA
"I'm severely concerned from the beginning of his project, the cruise port has been a secondary thought. If you want to solve a port issue, then solve the port issue. I really, and it's true what the guys said, I have been to many cruise ports and most of the cruise ports in this part of the world are moving away from dovetailing it with cargo ports."
YaYa Marin Coleman, UBAD
"How somebody that doesn't have knowledge of a project could support a project? Now you are guilty of never adequately making sure Belizean people "overstand" a complex conversation. My heart broke when I heard all those people come up here and say they support this project because if you ask them a question they can't answer it. This is a government initiative, NEAC are government employees, do you really think NEAC will tell their bosses, you won't run through with this project? So that's a conflict of interest for me."
The entire meeting lasted about 4 hours - and the consultation period to comment in writing ends on April first.
