The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

THE government has launched an investigation into allegations of environmental hazards and retaliatory dismissal at Great Stirrup Cay following a former employee's concerns about safety practices and his termination.

Minister of Environment Zane Lightbourne said the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection is reviewing materials submitted by Daylland Moxey, a former assistant safety manager at the cay, and is preparing an on-site visit.

“He sent videos and emails of communication between him and his supervisors, and since then, the department has reached out to the environmental consultant of this company that’s on record to provide an update, as regular reports have not at this point reflected what Mr Moxey reported,” Mr Lightbourne said.

“An on-site visit investigation and that sort of thing is what the department is embarking on.”

Mr Moxey said he was terminated on March 8, 13 days after management acknowledged a formal professional non-concurrence he filed on February 23 outlining safety and environmental concerns. He claims the dismissal was retaliatory and said he is still owed wages.

Among the issues raised in his complaint was a fire at a waste site that burned for nearly two weeks, during which contaminated runoff entered nearby coastal waters.

He said workers responding to the fire were not provided with adequate equipment and relied on masks, while approximately 750,000 gallons of water used to extinguish the blaze carried pollutants to the shoreline and reef environment.

Mr Moxey said hazardous materials burned at the site included marine batteries, PVC pipes, oil containers, paint cans, industrial tyres and scrap construction materials.

He also alleged that improper pesticide mixtures were used in mosquito control operations, including applications near food service areas used by visitors.

“As a health and safety professional, I cannot stand for that,” Mr Moxey said. “When bad things happen, you cannot just let it sit.”

He said he repeatedly refused instructions he believed were unlawful, including carrying out mosquito control using the pesticide mixture.

“I made it very clear that I was unwilling to budge,” he said, “and I was completely unwilling to compromise. Because one, what are we in this field for? Why are you a safety manager? I'm not here to evaluate you as a worker, but I am here as a competent professional with it, which is a legally binding implication.”

Mr Moxey claimed he was urged to “pick his battles” and proceed with directives despite his objections.

“There’s a lot of pressure. There was instance where she called me abruptly, Dylland, I need you to go spray the mosquitoes,” he said.” And I said, no, I can't. I won't. It's illegal. I've already made that clear. And then she hangs up the phone.”

He said he was terminated for failing probation, despite not being given a job description, performance evaluation or disciplinary record.

Following his dismissal, Mr Moxey said he was offered $2,865.24 on condition he sign an agreement waiving further claims, despite being owed about $6,500, including one month’s notice pay. He said he rejected the offer and that only the partial payment was made. He shared a copy of the purported correspondence with The Tribune.

Mr Moxey said his treatment by management changed after he raised his concerns.

“I received essentially a 180 turn of treatment when it comes to senior management,” he said.

He said he reported his concerns to several agencies, including the Department of Labour, the Port Department’s ISPS Unit, the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection, the Department of Environmental Health Services and the Bahamas Maritime Authority.

Labour Director Howard Thompson confirmed yesterday that he and his team met with Mr Moxey and said he was seeking an update on the matter.

Mr Moxey said he later filed a formal trade dispute after follow-up did not occur, and he became concerned about time limits.

Since raising his concerns, he said other workers have contacted him describing similar experiences.

Great Stirrup Cay’s human resources director declined to comment on the allegations.