The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

MORE than six weeks since Hurricane Irma tore through floating docks at Resorts World Bimini, residents said they are still fishing large chunks of Styrofoam from bays around the island.

“It is truly unbelievable that this is still the case,” one resident told The Tribune. “If the photos and video didn’t exist, they would say we’re lying over here.”

That resident, who asked not to be identified by name, was referring to video obtained by The Tribune depicting a very large chunk of Styrofoam hoisted on the back of a golf cart.

The 44 second video clip recorded and shared by Jenny Cook, a spokesperson for the Save Our Home protest group, suggests the massive slab of Styrofoam washed up on Spook Hill Beach.

Ms Cook in the video is heard saying: “You can see the size of it compared to the golf cart. It is about, I don’t know, seven feet long I would say and about four feet wide.”

She continued: “This is what is washing up on our beaches from Resort World’s docks because they still don’t have adequate curtains up to contain what they got broken open in docks at the resort up there.

“They got inadequate silk barriers that aren’t containing the foam and these giant pieces are breaking free from their broken docks which is still in the water and on the beaches there.”

The video came less than a day after Environment and Housing Minister Romauld Ferreira contended that remediation in Bimini was top on his agenda.

In a recent interview with The Nassau Guardian, Mr Ferreira indicated that he was considering a visit to the island in the coming days to see the issues there first hand.

Tensions between Resorts World Bimini and residents have worsened in recent weeks due to what some have described as the resort’s “irresponsible environmental practices.”

Earlier this month, Ms Cook said she was concerned that without the national spotlight focused on Bimini, RWB may not feel inclined to “finish the job.”

“We are waiting,” she said. “But we have waited for some time now to get all of this properly sorted out. The issue now is, we’ve given them the time to get this in hand, but chunks of Styrofoam are still washing up on shore daily.”

Despite this, however, Resorts World Bimini has maintained that it has done its best to resolve the matter.

In a statement early this month RWB said it had gone to extraordinary lengths to clean-up storm debris and immediate damage. 

The resort said debris was quickly gathered from the damaged marina and surrounding areas and was being “temporarily” stored on property while it awaited an “appropriate contractor” to dispose of the materials in an “environmentally neutral manner.” 

RWB said the vendor who originally provided its marina docks, has agreed to place skimmers in the marinas for long-term remediation.