COLA writes the Prime Minister and demands no offshore drilling
geovannie brackett
And if there is a time in which the various government departments need to consult, the time is now. According to Andre Cho, the Inspector of Petroleum in the Department of Geology and Petroleum, none of the oil companies are in the drilling stage. On Wednesday Citizens Organized for Liberty Through Action (COLA) joined the chorus against explorations. COLA delivered a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office highlighting details of oil spills from as far as Australia and as near as the USA. COLA’s Vice President Geovannie Brackett says the message to the P.M. is quite simple, no drilling on the seas.
Geovannie Brackett, VP, COLA
“What is alarming to us and troubling is that the entire country has been sectioned off for exploration blocks for petroleum. That includes all our reefs, all our protected areas; everything. So the letter ended by stating that we are calling for a moratorium against offshore drilling. For us it’s simply no drilling in any section of our seas. Secondly—and the reason for that is because oil travels. It’s no guarantee that if a spill happens in this part of the sea, it won’t reach this other sections and with a hundred and seventy-three miles of spilling that has happened in the Gulf of Mexico, that is close to covering our coastline. The second thing we requested is a complete restructuring of the way concessions are issued for exploration of oil, talking now terrestrially. There are still sensitive eco areas on land that we believe there shouldn’t be any exploration of oil. The environmental community should be consulted about these areas and there should be studies done before an area could be deemed explorable. This isn’t out of the ordinary; this is consistent with that is practiced in the U.S. The Department of the Interior, the secretary has to do a five year study and a five year plan for an exploration. So this particular area in the US would be declared explorable. That plan has to be balanced with a socio-economic assessment and an environmental study. Reason being is that you want to ask questions, how will this sort of development impact the surrounding community and the lifestyle; the trading, the commercial lifestyle in that area. That is one that we are asking for a total restructuring be done.”
Jose Sanchez
“Are any of them actually to say next month or next week, ‘here we are, ready to start drilling?”
Andre Cho, Inspector of Petroleum
andre cho
“No, none of the companies that have exploration licenses in the onshore areas are at the stage of drilling. Each contract has a work program that the company has to follow and in those contracts in particular for OPIC and Princess, if I remember correctly they don’t have drilling commitments till year five. Princess is in year three, so it’s about two more years before they have to drill and OPIC is in year two so they have about four more years before they have to drill. So there is no exploration activity going on onshore. A lot of people think there is but there is no physical exploration going on and there will be no drilling for the next two years or so.”
Cola is also requesting that Environmental Impact Assessments be required in the exploratory stage and the environmental laws should address separately the impact of terrestrial and offshore drilling.
I agree. Drill on land, we need the financial help and it is easier to control spills and accidents there, but not the sea!!!! There is so much that the sea can offer to Belize in the likes of tourism, marine products and education for our kids. We have very limited shore line. Leave the sea alone, and Belizeans, please stand up against this.
NO TO OFFSHORE DRILLING NOW NOW NOT LATER.BELIZEANS BELIZE IS OUR AND NOT EVEN DEAN BARROW NOR ANY OTHER PRIME MINISTER SHOULD GIVE LICENCES TO OFFSHORE DRILLING ,I KNOW DEAN BARROW IS TEMPTED BY THE HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY HE WOULD RECIEVE FROM THE CONTRACT,LIKE SMOKY JOE USED TO SAY “MONEY TALKS B^!!$#:% WALKS”. ITS GOOD TO DRILL INLAND BUT WHAT ARE BELIZEANS BENEFITING FROM ALL THESE EXPLORATIONS WHERE IS ALL THE MONEY COLLECTED FROM BNE,AND OTHER COMPANIES {NEW CONTRACTS} ITS SAD BUT BELIZEANS HASN’T GOTTEN ANYTHING FROM ALL THIS DRILLINGS,ONLY THE HIGH RANKING GOV’T MINISTERS ARE RECIEVING THEIR PIECE OF THE PIE.” WHILE BELIZEANS HAVE TO WAIT”.
I totally support oil exploration in the inland of Belize,only if there are strict regulations but what concerns me is that some of the people holding drilling licenses are people that have no experience with oil.Case and point the owner of the princess hotel,when states like California
Oregon and Washington which are all coastal states are asking the US government to permanently band offshore drilling we in Belize need to to listen ,study other countries that have had oil exploration issues.I believe that any oil exploration has to be voted by the people of Belize .look at Nigeria Despite the vast wealth created by petroleum, the benefits have been slow to trickle down to the majority of the population, who since the 1960s have increasingly been forced to abandon their traditional agricultural practices In spite of the large number of skilled, well-paid Nigerians who have been employed by the oil corporations, the majority of Nigerians and most especially the people of the Niger Delta states and the far north have become poorer since the 1960s.[3]
NO NEED TO DISCUSS THIS MADNESS IS NOT/SHOULD NOT BE UP FOR DISCUSSION NONE AT ALL……WHO SIGN US ON TO THIS SHOW YOUR FACE/HANDS AND RETRACT THIS CRAZY….STUPID IDEA….DRILL FOR OIL IN OUR WATERS…PURE MADNESS !!! MULTI-BILLION $$$’S COMPANY WITH ALL ITS $$$ CANT CONTAIN THE SPILL IN THE GULF !!! NOW IMAGINE BELIZE AND WE ALL KNOW HOW GREAT WE ARE AT MONITORING/POLICING ANYTHING, IMAGINE US IN THE SAME SITUATION , HOW THE HELL WE GOING TO DEAL WITH THAT AND WHY EVEN LET US FACE SUCH A RISK !!!! OUR REEF N’ MANGROVES PROTECT US WHY NOT US DO THE SAME 4 THEM N’ US !!!