In light of revelations made this week regarding the damage that the Sandyport Development has caused the environment, local environmental interests are urging the government to order that the latest phase of the development be halted.
“If the government is aware of the drastic affect to people in that area and the situation of the wetland, how is it this development is being allowed to continue?” questioned Fred Munnings Jr., a member of the Coalition To Save Clifton Cay, which is headed by Senate Vice President Rev. C. B. Moss.
The group believes that the relevant government authorities must now examine whether the damage done at Sandyport is reversible.
The Coalition has been a whistleblower regarding the Sandyport Development, accusing the developers of acting in a way that was adversely impacting the environment.
While this is something that Sandyport owner, Hugh Buckner, has consistently denied, information at the Bahamas Environment Science and Technology Commission (BEST) says that the development, which started in the early 1980’s, resulted in 98 percent of wetland in the area being destroyed.
It also says that activities at Sandyport are creating serious flooding concerns for residents in nearby communities.
Mr. Buckner finds it unfair that the government conducted an investigation into the environmental impact caused by Sandyport when the relevant agencies over the years have granted him all the requisite permits to carry out the work.
But Mr. Munnings said in an interview with the Bahama Journal Friday that, “The government should ensure that any further development of that property or any other development must be done in the best interest of the Bahamian people.”
Since the Sandyport Development began, a lot has changed in The Bahamas as it relates to environmental policy. One of those changes includes the establishment of BEST. Mr. Buckner feels that he should not have to suffer for what the government has decided to do after the fact.
He maintains that Sandyport has changed the environment, but only for the better.
Mr. Munnings said that while he is no ecological expert, the available government documents back up claims made by the Coalition that Sandyport has adversely impacted the ecosystem in the area.
He believes that if the Coalition had not raised this issue earlier this month, none of what is happening to the environment due to the development would have been revealed anytime soon.
Meanwhile, Sam Duncombe, a spokesperson for the environmental group, ReEarth, feels that it may be too late for the Sandyport environment to make a comeback.
But she said the experts will have to decide whether restoration will make much of a difference now.
“I don’t know what state the wetlands that do exist are in, whether they still have access to the sea and that will really determine how viable the wetlands still are,” Mrs. Duncombe said. “I think the damage has already been done and I think the cat is out of the bag, the milk is spilt and sour and what we need to be focusing on are developments that are in the works that have not yet begun that we can do something about because I think at this stage in the game, I’m not sure that anything can be done about Sandyport.”
She added, “While Mr. Buckner may say that the place is teeming with wildlife, when I gave a talk at Rotary about two years, one of the ladies mentioned that when she first moved in that there were a lot of birds around and as each phase of the development progressed, there were [fewer] and [fewer] birds.”
While admitting that she has not been to Sandyport in years, Mrs. Duncombe added that,
“When I did go through there several years ago, the amount of damage was quite extensive.”
Glen Saunders, The Bahama Journal
