And while the Prime Minister waits for that Ports Policy - the Chairperson of the UBAD Educational Foundation is determined to let the voice of the people be heard on the Port of Belize proposed cruise terminal and bulk shipping facility.
Tonight, YaYA Marin Coleman is calling for a meaningful public hearing on the proposed mega-project. Now you might be saying, but wasn't one of those held two weeks ago - and it went for four hours?
Well, under the law, that was a consultation, not a hearing - which is more in depth. Now, it is within the power of the National Environmental Appraisal Committee, NEAC to call for a hearing - and Sister YaYA is calling on them to do just that:
Yaya Marin-Coleman
"UEF has sent at least 3 written documentations to the department of the environment and often times they don't respond, appealing, pleading for a public hearing. It's unfair and unethical to ask people to participate in any process when you know who is leading the process did not actively ensure there was an awareness or education campaign and more importantly, that people understood, then you could ask people for meaningful people participation. But Belize is not known for such fair and ethical processes and so its wrong, this administration is wrong, because these are the people who have a legal responsibility to make a recommendation to the department of the environment EIA unit for public hearing on the ground of national interest. So what UEF hope is, is that the national environmental appraisal committee will have a public hearing. UEF has submitted more than one written request to DOE, to the minister, to the prime minister, to the deputy prime minister - they don't answer. 8 out of 10 times if they answer, they say I got your email. That's it. They don't even answer for the most part - to say you need to have a public hearing and they can still do it. NEAC can still do it during the revision period and in the public hearing if it takes 24 hours, you allow us to flesh-out our concerns thoroughly."
We note that tomorrow is the deadline to submit written comments on the Port of Belize proposed development EIA.
