Several environmentalists expressed shock and outrage yesterday after learning that exploratory oil drilling by Bahamas Petroleum Company (BPC) commenced in Bahamian waters.
Bahamas National Trust (BNT) Executive Director Eric Carey called it “duplicitous” and “hypocritical” as he said it pushes the country back years and goes contrary to the steps needed in addressing the effects of climate change that plague the country.
“It’s an unfortunate and sad day for the development of our country because I think it takes us a step back into fossilized times,” Carey said.
“We’re looking at fuels that are destructive and are a detriment to our own existence and it’s a sad day that as a country that is so vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, we have been to the United Nations and elsewhere telling the world that we are at risk, that we’re going to go under as the sea levels are rising because of global warming and one of the contributors of that is the use of fossil fuels.
“Now, for us actually looking to enter that market as a contributor, it is duplicitous and it flies in the face of what is in our best interest. It’s hypocritical to say on one hand that we are impacted by climate change and on the next hand, we are looking to exploit fossil fuels.”
In a statement released yesterday, BPC CEO Simon Potter revealed that the drilling of the well Perseverance #1 has commenced and is expected to continue for 45-60 days.
According to ship tracking website Marinetraffic.com, the drillship Stena IceMAX was last located about 90 miles west of Andros.
Environmentalists have been up in arms over the process, fearing what they have called the detrimental effects the exploratory oil drilling could have on the country’s natural resources.
Carey said environmentalists do not wish for a bad outcome of the scenario, but they do fear the worst.
“None of us in the environmental community wish for anything bad to happen, absolutely none of us. I can guarantee you,” Carey said.
“None of us want to say ‘I told you so’. We are hopeful that as this process gets underway, that The Bahamas is spared any accidents and any disaster because we cannot afford it.”
Both Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis and Attorney General Carl Bethel have said when the Minnis administration took office, it met the agreement already in place and could not get out of it.
However, Carey expressed disappointment that the government felt it could do nothing to halt the plans for the exploratory oil drilling.
“I’m disappointed that the prime minister and others who’ve said that they don’t support it philosophically, that there couldn’t have been something to stop us from getting to this point,” he said.
“I understand deals are signed and agreements are made, but sometimes we have to rethink decisions that we’ve made, which may not be in the best interest of our families, best interest of ourselves, and in this case from our perspective not in the best interest of our long-term survival as a country.”
Environmental groups Waterkeepers Bahamas Ltd. and Coalition to Protect Clifton Bay (Save the Bays) recently filed an injunction in the Supreme Court seeking a judicial review of the government’s decision to authorize the drilling.
The Supreme Court has not yet heard the matter.
Waterkeepers Bahamas Director Joseph Darville was furious when speaking with The Nassau Guardian yesterday saying, “This is really mysterious because there’s a case in the court and the judge hasn’t yet made a decision and they’re doing this in contravention of a judge’s potential order.
“Are we a sovereign nation or not? I cry shame on those entities that would allow this.”
When asked what’s the next step for environmentalists now that drilling has begun, Darville said, “We’re still on step one. We’re waiting for the judge to make a decision.
“There’s nothing more that we could do. We’ve done everything that we could based upon the lack of all sorts of procedures that should have been followed. There was absolutely no consultation by anyone in the country, particularly nothing involving environmental groups who are concerned about the preservation of our environment. We just have to wait now.”
The post Environmentalists outraged over drilling commencement appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
source https://thenassauguardian.com/environmentalists-outraged-over-drilling-commencement/
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