The Tribune

ACCORDING to a Bahamas Environment, Science and Technology Commission document seen by The Tribune it made a variety of recommendations and requested that Resorts World Bimini submit certain documents after their request for additional cubic yards of dredging materials was granted. The document said:

A.   In order to mitigate the risks associated with the operation of the variance request, the BEST Commission recommends:

1. That a competent Independent Consultant be engaged to oversee, monitor and control the operation of the placement area as detailed in CM -2.13,

2. The Independent Consultant must be empowered to oversee as well as stop operations if the continued operation would undermine the discharge area leading to cascade failure of the system,

3. The Independent Consultant must have demonstrated ability operation in a similar environment with greater than 20 years’ experience in the area,

4. The Independent Consultant must also have the necessary support staff to monitor and control the process over the duration of the works, and provide all reports of its operations including turbidity monitoring criteria, locations and frequency and make them available to the Docks committee and government agencies with statutory authority of the engineering works.

5. Oversight of the activities and Independent Consultant must be by the Bahamian Environmental Firm and Engineer of Record for the Bimini Ferry Terminal Project Variance request, daily reports of its site operations must be prepared and submitted with the required signatures.

B. The Bimini Bay Ferry Terminal must submit as an addendum to the EIA, EMP the suitability of structural design and controls, as well as management of these proposed spoil management structures for review to substantiate good industry practices to protect against failure and ruinous release of sediments into the environment. In addition, the following common good industry practices lacked in the submittals, we strongly recommend the project to submit to BEST to substantiate the stability of the spoil placement structure:

1. Geotechnical analysis to support foundation strengths

2. Foundation under-seepage and dike seepage control

3. Physical properties to substantiate suitability of materials to be used for dike construction (including design shear strength, consolidation, Atterberg limits, etc)

4. Main dike and cross-dike lifts/compaction

5. Dike height and freeboard rain event calculations

6. Citation to design standards used in the engineering design of the containment

7. Inspection and Monitoring Programme during dike construction to ensure material is placed according to engineering standards.

8. Dredged Material Disposal Operations Plan

9. Dredged Material Inspection, Monitoring, and Maintenance Programme for life of the facility.

In addition, The Bimini Bay Ferry Terminal must submit as an addendum to the EIA, EMP the following:

1. Emergency response plans that specify equipment, rouses and procedures to react to and implement appropriate countermeasures to contain, control and manage any accidental or unintended release of material and sediments from the disposal and dewatering systems.

2. A site stabilisation and decommission plan must also be developed to return the site to its pre operational state.

3. Bathymetric survey in the side of placement area to the southward of the Bimini channel and harbour.

4. Copy of permit for use of Crown land for placement of the dredge material and dewatering exercise.

5. The Developer must undertake a study to assess the downstream risks to the community in the event of catastrophic failure; it must encompass and factor in rainfall or other weather events likely to impact the area during operation.