Waterloo Appeals D.O.E. Decision to Minister of Sustainable Development

An appeal has been lodged by Waterloo Investments Holdings Limited to challenge a decision by the Department of Environment which has denied environmental clearance for its proposed tourism development project near the Port of Belize.  The appeal has been made to Minister of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management, Orlando Habet.  Notwithstanding D.O.E.’s decision, Waterloo remains convinced that the justifications for refusing environmental clearance are “flawed, legally unsound and unable to withstand judicial scrutiny.”  Waterloo’s Chief Executive Officer, Stewart Howard, is on record stating that the company has already invested ten million Belize dollars in preparatory studies and first-time scientific analysis.  He goes on to say, “to have denied environmental clearance to this project on the basis of spurious allegations of incomplete information rather than requiring any perceived deficiencies to be addressed is unreasonable and against elementary principles of fairness…  We possess the financial capacity and reputation to execute this project and fully intend to significantly upgrade the cargo terminal and build-out the cruise terminal as a world class facility for Belize.”  Waterloo has laid out the fundamental bases upon which it is challenging D.O.E.’s decision and is looking forward to presenting its case at an early and fair hearing of the appeal scheduled by Minister Habet.  In related news, Waterloo has joined an existing suit brought against the Department of the Environment and the National Environmental Appraisal Committee, NEAC, by Port Coral.  It joins Port of Magical Belize as an interested party in that matter which is set to be heard on February eighth, ninth and tenth.  Senior Counsel Godfrey Smith is representing the company.