Published On:Monday, November 02, 2009

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

OPPONENTS of BEC's $105 million Wilson City power plant have hit "a brick wall" in their attempts to discover what permits have been issued to approve the facility's construction, an attorney representing several telling Tribune Business that his clients wants to be involved "positively" rather than through "adversarial conflict" involving litigation and demonstrations.

Fred Smith QC, the Callenders & Co attorney and partner, said his clients had been encouraged by Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham's comments in the House of Assembly about the Government's mistake in not informing/consulting Abaconians on the project before construction on Wilson City began, and his insistence that BEC must show why the plant needs to use Bunker C fuel.

However, contrasting the way the Wilson City power plant process had been handled with the promised transparency and accountability in the Government's proposed Planning and Subdivisions Bill, Mr Smith said he and his clients had still been unable to unearth any information about the project's permitting/approvals process.

Referring to the Prime Minister's comments, Mr Smith told Tribune Business: "This still does not explain the hasty rush to get permits after the fact, and have them rubber-stamped by BEC and the authorities.

"We have been making efforts to get copies of the permits from the administrator in south Abaco. We've come up against a brick wall, as they're not giving us copies of approvals made or outstanding, or permits given.

"The reports we've got from people who have gone to the local government office is that no permits were issued by local government; it's all been done through central government agencies. This is derisory to local government, and completely against the Subdivision Bill being promoted by the Government.

"It goes contrary to what Minister Earl Deveaux said about consultation, Land Use Planning, getting input from interested parties, and allowing communities to envision their own future rather than have it imposed on them by the central government."

Mr Smith added that while the Government was promoting "such modern, democratic and polished legislation" in the form of the Planning and Subdivisions Bill, "they did, and continue to do, the exact opposite at Wilson City".

While the Government's handling of the BEC project to-date "certainly leaves an awful lot to be desired", Mr Smith said the Prime Minister's comments in the House of Assembly last week were "a tremendous demonstration of Mr Ingraham's commitment to transparency and environmental issues", especially on his requirement for BEC to show cause as to why Bunker C fuel was required.

The newly-named QC said his clients hoped the Prime Minister's comments "will infiltrate and filter through to" BEC, government ministries and local government, and he again called for a new Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) - in which his clients were consulted and provided feedback - to be conducted.

"There's still time for the Prime Minister to rein in BEC's horse," Mr Smith told Tribune Business, explaining, that the main issue was "lack of due process" and the fact his clients had been "blindsided by the central government" on Wilson City.

His clients had suggested Norman's Castle on the north-west Abaco coast as an alternative location for the BEC plant, and their main concerns were location, the source of energy to be used by the plant, environmental issues, property rights, and the impact on the Abaco economy, tourism industry and employment.

"We do not wish to engage in adversarial conflict, litigation and demonstrations," Mr Smith told Tribune Business. "We want the positive energy, positive ideas to come from my clients and citizens in Abaco, and an open mind by the relevant persons in authority, so the people in Abaco, central government, local government and BEC can forge something that, although not everyone will be happy with every part of it, will provide the best solution arrived at together for Abaco.

"That is all anyone wants. They want a bonafide, legitimate opportunity at all stages to be heard. Once again, we are very grateful for what the Prime Minister had to say, and we hope that based on that, BEC and the Government will begin the process of considering where a plant should go, the source of energy and property rights aspects."