Broken Promise? Placencia Residents Outraged Over Dredging Approval

Residents of the Placencia Peninsula say trust has been broken. They were promised a pause on development, but instead, a green light was quietly given. The Department of Environment has approved dredging, and reclamation works for Seaboard Holdings Limited, sparking outrage among communities who insist government agencies had agreed to hold off on permits until a coastal erosion study was completed. Now, residents are demanding answers. They’re calling out key officials in the Department of Environment, Mining, and Physical Planning, questioning how the approval slipped through. For a community already watching its coastline erode, this isn’t just about paperwork, but about promises made, and promises they believe were not kept.

 

On the Phone: Warren Garbutt, Chairman, Placencia Village Council

“Maybe the government doesn’t have to consult with local communities. And that’s one of the frustrations that we have had for ages, that people could come to our peninsula, to our home, and build whatever they want, structures, without any consultation with the village, with the communities. They simply have to just go to Belmopan and apply through some of the different departments there. And the fact is, most people in these departments, while they’re qualified, they have studied their particular field, they’re not familiar with the community itself and how some of these decisions affect people on the ground. So there’s definitely need for a lot more consultation with communities before permits and other approvals are given for most things, I would say. I mean, as the council, we feel really not only disrespected, but there’s maybe no need for a council if everything can be done in Belmopan without any kind of consultation with the community. Placencia is on the southern part of the peninsula. And where this activity dredging was happening is north of the peninsula. So it’s more in the Siene Bight jurisdiction. While the lagoon is shared by all of us and we’re very concerned about any activities in there and development, you know, the way the process works, I think the issuing authorities would reach out to the St. Bight Village Council. So that may be the reason why we weren’t privy to the letters and the issuance of the permits for the activity.”

 

Officials Respond to Controversial Placencia Lagoon Development

 

As outrage grows over dredging activity in the Placencia Lagoon, the Chief Environmental Officer of the Department of Environment is now speaking out. Antonio Mai says his department did its due diligence before granting environmental clearance for the project and that when concerns were raised, officers went to the site immediately. But he also acknowledges that the contractor did not follow the permit to the letter and that critical protection to prevent sediment from spilling into the lagoon was never put in place.

 

Anthony Mai, CEO, Department of Environment

“So basically, approval was given for them to remove 4,500 cubic yards of material, to be used to fill the property, and also to fill the erosion, to abate the erosion that was happening from the seaside portion of the development. And so when we went on site, we found that a structure had been built 500 feet long, about 20 feet wide, and about maybe five or 10 feet deep. The purpose of it was to obtain the material to meet the obligations of the permits and the clearance, right? And so we had instructed that the, well, the Mining Unit, along with the Department of Environment, has instructed that the structure be removed. But to us, the big concern is that at least the condition as it relates to putting in place proper silt screen and sediment containment was not done. I just want to be clear, it’s not dredging per say, it’s more excavation. And so they went in with an excavator and they dug out the material. The community’s input is important because they live close to the area that could be affected. And again, I started off by saying that, indeed, when we granted clearance to this project, we did our proper due diligence. In fact, we have letters of support from the Seine Bight Village Council. During that process, when it was brought to our attention, is when we receive information to suggest that a study was done in the area that shows that the area might be habitat for manatee. But before clearance was granted or any permit was granted, we were not aware of that study.”

 

A meeting is scheduled for tomorrow between representatives from the mining department, the Seine Bight Village Council, and the project operator to discuss the concerns surrounding the dredging activity and what immediate steps can be taken moving forward. News Five will bring you that update as it develops.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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