The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Deputy Chief Reporter

 krussell@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS National Trust Executive Director Eric Carey is “disappointed” with the lack of transparency into Oban Energies LLC’s proposed project for Grand Bahama, particularly the silence and lack of details from officials on the environmental impact assessment, which should have already begun by now.

In an interview with The Tribune yesterday, Mr Carey added that the BNT has also written a letter inquiring about the EIA to Oban executives and the Bahamas Environment Science and Technology Commission, but no answers have been forthcoming.

On February 19, and during the controversial ceremonial signing of the heads of agreement, Peter Krieger, Oban’s former non-executive chairman, said it was hoped the EIA would be completed in 45 days. At the time he said Oban was “ahead of the curve” when it came to the assessment.

Today marks 45 days since his statement. There is also an apparent non-disclosure agreement preventing some stakeholders from commenting on the EIA, one source told The Tribune yesterday.

Outside of this category, but still unwilling to shed light on the EIA is BEST Commission Director Philip Weech, a government official paid by taxpayer dollars who the BNT said should answer queries from the public on the project.

When questions about the EIA were put to him yesterday, he refused to offer any comment, even on the basic issue as to whether or not the EIA had started. His only response was the commission would do its part. 

This drew the ire of Mr Carey who was adamant that Bahamians have a right to know what is happening in their country. These concerns, especially those put forward by the press, he said, deserves answers.

Islands by Design and its chief Keith Bishop, with offices in New Providence and Abaco, were engaged by Oban since April 2017 to carry out the EIA, sources also said. But it is unclear whether any work in this regard has been carried out.

On its website, Islands by Design confirmed it was retained by Oban “to conduct an EIA for a proposed refined petroleum and storage facilities to be located on the island of Grand Bahama.”

“The terminal and refinery,” the company continued, “are to play a key strategic role as one of only two facilities close to the US Gulf and East Coasts for deep water marine terminal servicing of crude and other products. With a location just 90 miles (145 kilometers) from the US Eastern Seaboard, this complex is ideally suited as a merchant facility for storing and blending liquid products, transshipping and terminal operations.”

Mr Carey said: “Bahamians have a right to know what is happening in their country. This should not be secretive.

“If you called the director of the BEST Commission, as a Bahamian or as a member of the media, I would think he’d be inclined to answer and very frankly should answer. I am disappointed that he was uncooperative.

“Our public officials whether elected or not should be accountable. No one is accusing them, we are just questioning.”

He continued: “The prime minister said the environmentalist will know. The minister for the environment has already said it is not in his portfolio, so then who else should then give the public the information?

“I would think that would be the BEST Commission and its director. He would know the timelines. I think he should explain. The prime minister has referred people to the environmental people.”

Asked whether he was surprised by the lack of transparency from the government, Mr Carey said: “I am disappointed for a number of reasons. There is any number of public officials in opposition supporting the Freedom of Information Act and this is what the citizenry uses as its right to information, which should be guaranteed by law. I am disappointed but not surprised that they aren’t because FOIA hasn’t been (fully) enacted.”

Despite having the BEST Commission in his portfolio, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said last week he did not know when the EIA would begin. BEST provides guidelines for EIAs for developments in the Bahamas.

Apart from the EIA, critics have said key questions about the oil refinery and storage project remain unanswered.

During his much-awaited midyear budget speech in March, Dr Minnis said the beneficial owner of Oban Energies is the K Family Irrevocable Trust. However, he gave no details about the people behind this trust. In addition, although funding concerns were cited as the chief reason the project went nowhere under the last Ingraham administration, Dr Minnis provided no proof of this.

Centreville MP Reece Chipman, who was recently fired as chairman of the Antiquities, Monuments and Museums Corporation (AMMC), has also expressed concerns that the area where the project is slated to be built is a cultural site.

The Tribune was told yesterday that the AMMC is now actively involved in the process.