The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I read this week that the government is considering plans to locate a Liquefied Natural Gas facility in New Providence to aid in power generation. This is a great idea. LNG is far safer, cleaner and less expensive than the outdated and wasteful system we have been using for generations.

LNG is non-toxic, non-corrosive, does not adversely affect either earth or water and dissipates into the air quickly if spilled. If is far less likely to explode than other fuels, and in the rare cases when accidents may occur, it burns far more slowly than the fuels we are using to generate power at the moment.

Such a terminal is really a long time coming and would be a great step in the right direction towards fully renewable energy at some point in the future.

However the government simply must reject any and all plans that call for LNG at Clifton Pier. That site is so contaminated by decades of spills and regular pollution that it is destroying the land and marine environment for miles around.

Anyone who has worked there or has an intimate knowledge of the site knows that it is a serious health hazard and the best thing that can be done is to close it down, cordon it off and undertake an urgent remediation project.

Back in the day, the current Minister of the Environment used to work there himself, so he knows how bad things are. Surely this government must insist that any serious bidder for an LNG terminal in New Providence must propose another location. If they cannot buy the land, government should consider making a Crown Land lease or grant. LNG is the future of electricity in the Bahamas, the toxic, dirty facility at Clifton is the past that is best forgotten.

I pray that this time, we learn from our mistakes.

FORMER BEC EMPLOYEE

Nassau,

April 5, 2018.