Bahamas News

The energy company AES is only seeking to build an LNG facility in the Bahamas so that it can circumvent US laws and restrictions, it was claimed last night – a claim the company has denied in the past.

Sam Duncombe, president of the local environment watch group ReEarth, stated that although the Bahamas Environment Science and Technology Commission (BEST) gave the proposal the green light, none of the officials in BEST are expert on LNG.

The government still hasn’t done its homework in regard to AES’ LNG proposal for Ocean Cay. That argument of a deep water port is ridiculous to me because we are dredging at Ocean Cay to accommodate the facility there.

So if we are dredging why doesn’t AES follow Tractebel and build a floating dock for their LNG facility? she asked.

Tractebel, along with AES have been anxiously awaiting approval for a regasification facility to be built in the Bahamas, that would receive liquefied natural gas (LNG) via ocean going tankers, and pump it via pipeline to South Florida.

Tractebel has since uprooted its interests in the Bahamas and is currently looking at building a regasification facility 10 miles off the coast of Florida.

If this is such a brilliant project, then why doesn’t Florida want it? because they want to build it in the Bahamas to try and circumvent a barrage of laws and restrictions that they would face if the LNG project was built in the US.

They are here because they only have to go through the BEST Commission, and, I’m sorry, but nobody in the BEST Commission is an expert. AES is the fourth dirtiest company in the US, so why are we even entertaining them? she asked.

US Ambassador John Rood recently broke his silence on the LNG topic, stating that in his opinion, the financial benefits that would be derived from the AES proposal would far outweigh any possible related risks from having the terminal built in the Bahamas.

Everything has a risk. The cruise ships that we allow in this harbor are a terrorist target; they are environmental targets. A lot of things can happen; one could sink – we can go on and on about all the potential dangers of a cruise ship in your harbor.

The people of the Bahamas have looked at the economic benefit, and said that without a doubt the economic benefit far outweighs those risks. And they have made that decision and that is why the cruise industry is so strong here, he said.

AES has denied the claim it is trying to avoid US laws, and says its decision is based on the lack of available land in South Florida.

By Paul Turnquest
Tribune Staff Reporter