Cahill Energy offers us a real solution to becoming energy independent, while at the same time reducing our massive oil import bill. Cahill Energy has brought a waste to energy option to the Government of Barbados that is far superior to any other we have examined. We believe that our country will be changed forever as a result.
At the end of the day you can’t tell the Government that it has to take all of these measures and fix the economy and then when the Government goes out and legitimately engages in an activity that brings US$240 million to Barbados to say that the company isn’t worthy.
All I try to do is honour my opportunity. There is no one in Barbados that can say that this minister has ever asked them for anything in order to get a contract with the Government, neither can there be anyone who truthfully says that this minister has asked them to hand over anything as a result of any arrangement in the Ministry of the Environment.
The Leader of the Opposition raised a matter of whether or not the EIA [Environmental Impact Assessment] was done.
Listen to the story on EIAs at the same [Mangrove location].
You would not believe that cell number three at Mangrove was constructed and completed in 2003.
Do you know when the EIA was done and submitted? Two thousand and five. Do you understand what I am saying? And this was in St Thomas. I am not a lawyer, but I am sure that the lawyers would signal whether or not I have made my initial case.
At the end of the day, you can’t tell the Government that it has to take all of these measures and fix the economy and then [criticise] when the Government goes out and legitimately engages in an activity that brings US$240 million to Barbados; then to say that the company isn’t worthy.
We are satisfied through the due diligence done that the Cahill company is fit and proper to operate in Barbados.
It is an opportunity that is going to hire over 600 people in the first instance, and give Barbados an energy option that will see us reduce our fossil fuel bill, reduce our release of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, produce over 40 megawatts of energy that will see us by 2029 reach our national target on renewable energy. It will solve the landfill problem.
All of the garbage in the country, all of the waste streams will be able to go there; the medical waste, the municipal waste, the green waste, all of it will go there. The tyres that we have problems with will go there, and therefore what more can you ask?
Barbados is on the move. It is a real challenge for us and it seems that the lot falls on the Democratic Labour Party whenever this country is in crisis to move it forward, but we shall do that. That is our commitment.
(The minister made these comments during the recent Estimates debate)
Dr Denis Lowe is Minister of the Environment.
