And today the UDP issued a release to say that's just plain unacceptable.
The Party says it is, quote, "It is shocking that the Minister of Sustainable Development has confirmed the existence of this 2019 ECP but yet has admitted to not seeing it. It was clear in a letter dated August 16th, 2017, to the Developers of Stake Bank that the project shall not include the development of the causeway. The ECP of 2017 did NOT provide clearance for the construction of the causeway."
Today, the former chair of the UDP Investment Committee, Tracy Panton spoke about that denial for the causeway project:
Hon. Tracy Panton - Former Chair, Cabinet Investment Subcommittee
"I was so flabbergasted by the interview last night and none of us can recall any such decision being taken by the UDP administration. I feel it was very irresponsible to make that assertion without seeing, as he admitted he as not seen a copy of the actually signed ECP. I can tell you Jules that I served as chair of the cabinet subcommittee on investments that looked at that project and even at cabinet it was agreed that would be no ECP for the stake bank cause way without robust public consultations."
Jules Vasquez
"The minister refers without proof to an ECP being granted. Would you be very surprised if someone produces an ECP?"
Hon. Tracy Panton
"I would be absolutely surprised if an ECP existed that was signed by any member of the former administration. I would surprised the cabinet's minutes are clear, the cabinet's direction was clear, the cabinet's decision was clear and I can tell you that my then colleague was responsible for ministry of environment also was not supportive of the cause way because of the environmental concern. The stake bank project itself, the development on the caye itself was definitely approved but the cause way."
Jules Vasquez
"If someone produces an ECP, would you then say it's illegitimate?"
Hon. Tracy Panton
"I would definitely it's illegitimate because the cabinet discussions, the cabinet decision, the cabinet clear direction in minutes following that cabinet meeting is extremely clear that the UDP administration would certainly not support the cause way component. There was some discussion about linking stake bank and drowned caye, that's different but the cause way from stake bank to Belize City. It was very clear that could proceed without public consultation."
Jules Vasquez
"Supposed there is a cause way as it is planned right now and you can see it on the billboard from Belize City to north drowned caye then from north drowned caye eventually to stake bank."
Hon. Tracy Panton
"That was never part of the project revision exercise that I was a part of."
Jules Vasquez
"I want to be very specific because when I spoke to Mike Feinstein he said indeed there is no cause way from stake bank to Belize City, the cause way is a part of the north drowned caye project, which is 2.7 miles from north drowned caye to Belize City and then later on another 2 miles from north drowned to stake bank."
Hon. Tracy Panton
"It was never any consideration as far as I can recall of any cause way that would link the stake bank project through any configuration with Belize City."
The UDP release says, quote "We demand that any such document be made available immediately and without hesitation to the Belizean public. If in fact such a document exists, we demand its immediate revocation since it was executed without following due processâ š¬¦"
And the coalition of environmental NGO's sent out a release this afternoon saying, quote, "On the October 6th, 2021 episode of "Uncut", Minister of Sustainable Development Orlando Habet, publicly admitted to not having seen the Environmental Compliance Plan for the causeways but asserted that approval was initially granted in 2013 and then regranted in 2019. However, a 2020 request for disclosure via the Freedom of Information Act did not include any documentation on a 2019 ECP approval In conferring with members of the 2019 National Environmental Appraisal Committee (NEAC), none of them could recall any discussions regarding causeways that ECP should be immediately revoked and a new process of review initiated following Belize's legally established procedures that highlight the necessary step of conducting well-advertised and open public consultations." End quote.
