SATIIM’s efforts haven’t changed GOB’s position on drilling in Sarstoon Temash

Dean Barrow

Seismic testing within the Sarstoon Temash National Park remains ongoing despite strong objections from SATIIM and its umbrella organization, the Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage. U.S. Capital Energy has also come under fire from other quarters to cease oil exploration within the protected area. Since Wednesday of this week, our emails have been overflowing with hundreds of emails from conservationists across the world, who are outraged over the continued search for oil within one of several reserves in the country.  According to P.M. Barrow, who is SATIIM’s former attorney, in spite of efforts by the organization to bring exploration activities to a standstill, U.S. Capital Energy is currently operating under a legally binding Production Sharing Agreement.  Furthermore, he said, the matter had already been brought before the Supreme Court which ruled that such exploration is lawful.

Dean Barrow

“Clearly this is an organized effort on the part of SATIIM and more power to them but I can tell them that that effort will have absolutely no impact on the government.  The exploration activities, the seismic activities, whatever that are taking place, those activities are taking place under a contract, under a PSA, under a license that is legal, under a license that confers certain rights on the U.S. Capital Energy.  You know that way back when the question of the legality of some aspects of that license and the regime went to court and the court made a decision so that what has been happening since that time is entirely consistent with our laws.  The bottom line then is that I absolutely reject SATIIM’s campaign to try and prevent the exploration activities from taking place.”