SPILLAGE OF DREDGED MATERIAL

The recent admission by the Government that a huge amount of dredged material has escaped into the bay at Saunders Beach only confirms and highlights the grave concern the Committee and thousands of Bahamians have raised with regard to the extension of Arawak Cay and its effect on the surrounding environment.

It would appear that either the company hired by the Government is not fully equipped or qualified to undertake and manage this type of project, or they have advised the Government of measures to be taken and the Government has simply ignored them.

In either case, this is sufficient evidence that this project should be stopped forthwith in order that the Government and the Bahamian people can get a better understanding of the effects this project will have on our environment and the impact to the surrounding areas.

Furthermore, we call for the immediate resignation of  Dr. Earl Deveaux.  Has mismanaged this project and failed the transparency test from day one.  It is obvious now that Dr. Deveaux’s longstanding, personal relationship with the Symonette family has severely impaired his judgment in dealing with the container port relocation and this has resulted in his irrational and uncharacteristic comments and behaviour during the past few months.

We also question who are the principals of Blue Engineering Co. Ltd.?, how  they were selected to provide the Environmental Impact Assessment at Arawak Cay?, did it go out to bid?, what was the cost of that report? and what is the connection, if any, between the person who prepared the report and one of the major local shipping companies?

Again, there are many questions and too few answers coming from the Government which has led Bahamians to now conclude in relation to this project whether there is, in fact, corruption at the highest level of Government.

Once again we call on the Government to stop this project forthwith and come clean with the Bahamian people.

Jerome Fitzgerald (Sen.), Chairman
The Committee to Preserve and Protect The Bahamas for Future Generations