Environmentalists demand Lighthouse Point EIA be made public

Environmentalists are calling for the release of the economic impact assessment (EIA) of Disney Cruise Line’s (DCL) multimillion-dollar Light House Point cruise port development in southern Eleuthera.

Disney Cruise Line submitted its EIA to the government in December 2019.

Since then the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) – formerly the Bahamas Environment, Science and Technology Commission – noted that it was under review and once complete it would be made available to the public.

In a letter penned to Minister of the Environment and Housing Romauld Ferreira and Vice President of Animals, Science and Environment for the Walt Disney Company Dr. Mark Penning, the environmentalists demand a timeline for the EIA’s release.

“On September 25, Department of Environmental Planning and Protection Director Rochelle Newbold was quoted as saying that in a “matter of weeks” the review of the EIA for the project by the department would be completed and the document would be released for public review. At the same time, we believe that the EIA should be resubmitted in light of the recently tabled draft 2020 EIA Regulations,” the letter stated.

“As you know, our organizations have been eager to engage in the EIA process at Lighthouse Point and have repeatedly written to both Disney and the government of The Bahamas. For the past eighteen months we have been working to ensure consideration of an economically and environmentally sustainable future for Lighthouse Point. Now is not the time to rush ahead with decisions on investments that do not take into account the new normal. We want to support and assure a fully comprehensive EIA of the project that takes into account critical issues that impact not only this project, but more generally the restart of the cruise ship industry – economics and systemic injustice, COVID-19 and climate change.”

The letter was signed by reEarth Executive Director Sam Duncombe, Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF) Executive Director Casuarina McKinney-Lambert, Waterkeepers Bahamas Executive Director Rashema Ingraham, Save the Bays Chairman Joseph Darville and Waterkeeper Alliance Executive Director Marc Yaggi.

The group is also demanding that the EIA be resubmitted to comply with 2020 EIA Regulations, incorporating what they consider critical new issues related to COVID-19 and taking into account the new international “Principles for Responsible Cruise Tourism”.

“We have engaged with numerous international experts and scientists who remain ready to review the EIA and ourselves we have more than 100 years of combined expertise with the Bahamian environment,” the group stated in the letter.

“We are eager to assist in making this EIA process a model of how a major multinational corporation and a small island state can indeed ‘rethink before restarting’ in this new world with a changing climate, pandemics and growing demands for more justice and equity.”

Additionally, the group is demanding DCL give two weeks notice to the public pursuant to the draft EIA Regulations of the start of the public consultation process; and ensure that the legally required consultation period for comment and hearings are adhered to pursuant to our suggested revisions to the 2020 draft EIA Regulations.

“We would suggest that this period be ninety days minimum. This should include virtual hearings with members of the general public in Eleuthera and in Nassau, as well as virtual meetings with experts,” the letter states.

The letter further calls for “consideration of all public comments and adjustment of EIA to account for issues raised during the public consultation period. Resubmission of the EIA and its consideration, and a decision on the environmental authorisation by the department”.

The environmentalists boasted of having gotten support from more than 320,000 supporters from The Bahamas and across the world who have signed onto its change.org petition, regarding the future of Lighthouse Point and the EIA.

Disney has maintained that the project – pegged to cost anywhere between $250 million to $400 million and would be an economic catalyst for the far flung community – will only move forward if Disney is able to do so in an environmentally responsible way.

The environmental activists fear the planned cruise port would imperil the “pristine” Lighthouse Point ecosystem.

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source https://thenassauguardian.com/environmentalists-demand-lighthouse-point-eia-be-made-public/