BY DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

KWASI Thompson, MP for East Grand Bahama, has asked the government about the status of the possible sale of Equinor and whether it would ensure sufficient funds are left in place to clean up any remaining oil spill in East End.

His comments came while speaking in the House of Assembly on Thursday during the debate concerning the Carbon Credits Trading Bill.

Mr Thompson expressed his support for the legislation.

“We think it is innovative, but we want to see the specifics of it, and we are calling for the government to ensure that every Bahamian has an opportunity to buy into it, to own it, and to benefit from it,” he stated.

Mr Thompson also raised environmental issues he wants the government to pay close attention to in East Grand Bahama.

In terms of Equinor, he noted there has been public commentary regarding the possible sale of the oil terminal in East Grand Bahama.

More than 100,000 barrels of oil were spilled at Equinor South Riding Point facility during Hurricane Dorian in September 2019.

“We wanted to understand the status of that sale. And, whether the government had given its approval for that sale. And whether the government is satisfied that there is sufficient protection to ensure that any leftover clean-up from Dorian has been sufficiently protected,” said Mr Thompson.

Mr Thompson indicated environmentalists had also expressed concern about a possible sale.

He said: “They wanted to know whether the government was putting something in place to ensure that if the facility is sold, and Equinor leaves the country, the company could fulfill its obligations to complete any leftover clean-up.”

Clean-up has been undertaken but still not completed.

Mr Thompson said: “They (Equinor) have been doing clean-up which is at a certain stage, but we wanted to ensure that the public is satisfied that protections and reserves are being put in place.”

Another issue raised was the importance of mangrove restoration in EGB, where Dorian had wiped out most of the mangroves.

He was particularly concerned about the govenrment’s denial of an application submitted by a local environmental group to replant mangroves in East Grand Bahama.

Mr Thompson indicated the Mangrove Replanting Project by Waterkeepers Bahamas and Save the Bays at the Coral Vita facility is extremely important, particularly to coastal communities in his constituency such as McLeans Town, Sweeting’s Cay, Water Cay, and Dover Sound.

He noted the MP for Pineridge (Ginger Moxey), and the wife of the Prime Minister (Ann-Marie Davis) had also visited the Coral Vita facility, where the mangrove nursery is located.

Mr Thompson stated that mangroves protect against storm surges.

“So, they have a very important project, and their application is to start with Dover Sound on the northern side of Grand Bahama,” he explained.

“They recently got a response from the Department of Environmental Protection and Planning (DEPP) where they denied their application to start this very important project.

“I am sure that the DEPP had their reasons for denying the application, but I wish the government to pay special attention to this and take a very close look at this because it is a very important project, and we 100 percent support it.”

Mr Thompson also noted there is an effort to get the public involved in planting mangroves.

“They are calling for public participation to replant mangroves in different areas. So, we ask the government to pay special attention to this, and take a good look at it and assist them in whatever deficiencies the government says they have, but do not put it on the back burner,” he stated.

The third matter he raised was about a dirt pile at Gold Rock Creek.

At the site, he said there is a mound of dirt about 100ft high on government property that is being removed.

“It is government property, and should be protected. I went out there and looked at it myself, and people are just coming and loading it on their property to sell. That is a huge problem, and it may just be as simple as putting a fence up to ensure that does not happen,” Mr Thompson said.

• This story originally stated that Mr Thompson's comments came during the debate of the Climate Change and Carbon Credit Initiative Bill – in fact it was during the debate on the Carbon Credits Trading Bill.