Health Minister Senator Dr. Marcus Bethel made the announcement on Thursday.
The company is ahead of two others that want to lay an Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) pipeline connecting the Bahamas to South Florida. The AES plan would link Ocean Cay, Bimini to Dania Beach Florida.
The company has already held town meetings in New Providence and Bimini,
But the government is planning for even more sessions to increase public input and feedback.
Minister Bethel said the government is seeking an informed public on the proposed pipeline.
“We are looking for feedback and we are looking for input from all segments of society who wish to take an interest in this process because Cabinet has not made any decision with respect to any of this proposals,” Minister Bethel said. “Cabinet will not do so until the public has had an opportunity to make its input into the process.”
According to Minister Bethel the Bahamas Environmental Science Technology Commission an arm of the Ministry of Health and Environment conducted the review with the technical assistance of an ICF consulting of Washington, DC.
The process he said has advanced to the stage where the project is fully understood and it is possible to present it to the Bahamian people for their input and consideration.
Minister Bethel said that a full documentation covering the environmental impact assessment, EIA for the AES project proposal as well as the Environment Management Plan and the supporting documents are being made available for review by all interested Bahamians at the offices of the BEST Commission.
“Their input and consideration is being solicited in an open and transparent manner,” he said. “We except that sometime towards November the comments and questions that have been submitted would have been addressed and Cabinet will be apprised of those concerns before it makes any decision on the way forward.”
The dates for review are from October 27 through November 21.
Following the 4 weeks of public review and consultation, Minister Bethel said that two-town meeting will be held to discuss the LNG projects in Bimini.
The town meetings are scheduled for November 24 and 26.
“The EIA submitted by the other companies, we have begun the process of review of a second EIA- the El Paso environmental assessment. The BEST Commission and its appointed consultants have begun that process in the pass two weeks.
The manner in which these are done is that different consultants have been appointed for each of the projects. ICS is the consultant firm for the AES project.
By the end of November the BEST Commission will submit its final report to cabinet incorporating all of the concerns and their views.
But there are some persons who are not so ready to support LNG plans. They are worried that it could ruin the environment.
Environmental Engineer Phenton Neymour had raised concerns about the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report.
“Will the EIA be made public for Bahamians to evaluate?,” he asked.
LNG officials are denying that the El Paso Corporation and Tractebel also want government approval for similar projects.
In a interview a recent interview with the Bahama Journal, LNG executives had said that it was their wish to establish a plant in The Bahamas because they claim there is no suitable location in Florida.
By Yvette Rolle-Major, The Bahama Journal
