FREEPORT, Grand Bahama – David Clark, project manager for the Tractebel Bahamas project, told the Bahama Journal recently that environmental approval for the project is prolonged because of Bahamas Environment Science and Technology Commission procedures.
The project manager called the evaluation process repetitive, a situation BEST Chairman Keod Smith attributed to a lack of regulations governing how liquefied natural gas proposals for The Bahamas ought to be evaluated.
Mr. Clark said, “[BEST] has given us at least 2,000 questions on our EIA (environmental impact assessment). It seems every paragraph they read they’ve managed to generate three or four questions.
“The technique they are using is that they’ve got three or four people reading the EIA and each of them generates a list of questions. We are getting the same questions sometimes three or four times. It’s a difficult process to go through because of the amount of questions.”
Mr. Smith told the Journal Monday that, “The Bahamas still does not have any regulatory framework or established procedures by which we are to follow projects such as [these] which are totally new to the country.
“And as to repetition, sometimes repeating a question may be an oversight, and sometimes it could just simply be a way of reaffirming a position that has to be confirmed one way or the other.”
Tractebel wants to build an LNG facility in the Freeport Harbour. Its EIA is being assessed by both the BEST Commission and the Grand Bahama Port Authority.
On April 13, the Florida state legislature approved pipeline proposals for both the Tractebel and the AES Corporations. The companies want to lay LNG pipelines between The Bahamas and South Florida to satisfy the state’s growing energy needs.
Mr. Clark’s comments come as both companies await word on whether their liquefied natural gas proposals will win approval from the Government of the Bahamas.
He indicated that many of the questions put to Tractebel by BEST are “beyond the scope of the project.”
“For example they have asked us for some deed history of some properties in Eight Mile Rock which are nowhere near the [proposed LNG] site so we are not sure exactly how that would relate to what we are doing but they asked the questions so we are trying our best to answer them,” he added.
But Mr. Smith indicated that the BEST Commission’s assessment extends beyond the proposed location for the Tractebel LNG facility.
“The assessment of an EIA is not restricted to the science of it,” he pointed out. “It has to deal also with the socioeconomic impact on people. The proposal is immediately next to the community of Hepburn Town.
“There are obvious concerns of the people of Hepburn town with regard to the project and the safety of themselves and their families.”
In recent weeks, Tractebel has held several town meetings in Eight Mile Rock to inform residents about the proposed project.
Mr. Smith continues to be against approving any of the projects due to what he says is the lack of legislative framework.
“The BEST Commission through the chair of the Ambassador for the Environment has a responsibility of marrying the technology that comes before us with the existing or non- existing policies we may have. And that is where we continue to have a very serious problem.”
Mr. Smith said that above policies and procedures, the ultimate question is whether these projects should be allowed.
“It is unfortunate to everybody concerned that the matter may be taking longer than they may think,” he added. “But at the end of the day we have to be absolutely sure that we understand fully so we can decide fully on whether this is something that can or cannot be had in The Bahamas.”
Sharon Williams, The Bahama Journal
