The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

SEVERAL serious, potentially game-changing environmental issues have arisen during the short time the FNM has been in office. People have complained about Oban, the plans for LNG and the fact that there is still no solution for the city landfill. My question is, through all of this, where is the Bahamas National Trust?

The BNT and its spokesperson, Eric Carey, seem to be silent on these very important issues and I can see no good reason why that should be the case. True, they did raise concerns about the Oban deal, but then were very quick to praise the government a few days later, following its empty promise to make sure the environment is respected. After signing a deal which said the developers would be allowed to proceed no matter what the results of an Environmental Impact Assessment revealed, these were clearly empty words from the Minnis Administration.

Many would say a watchdog organisation like the BNT should not roll over and play dead so easily. Over the years, the Trust has been accused of being soft on governments, because they are partially government funded and want to protect that source of income at all costs. Remember the Bell Island, Aga Kahn controversy?

Now, there is a plan to locate a liquefied natural gas facility at Clifton Pier, one of the most foul and polluted sectors of the country. Being not too far from several protected areas in the south west of New Providence, the failure to clean up Clifton is a direct threat to the BNT’s conservation interests. But instead of cleaning it up, the government wants to add yet another industrial plant. This is clearly not in the best interests of the environment or the people who live in the area, but once again, the BNT is silent. What exactly is going on?

RICARDO JOHNSON

Nassau,

June 13, 2018.