Remember COLA? They started out as the Citizens to Oust Lord Ashcroft
– but bigger issues have emerged and the group has another name, the Citizens
Organized for Liberty through Action. And the action they are now talking is
against the Department of Geology and Petroleum. COLA is angry about an offshore
oil exploration license given to Chinese Petroleum Corporation. According to
reports, the oil exploration encompasses "an area roughly covering
1,800 square miles mostly off the shores of the Belize City and Stann Creek
Districts, which includes much of the Turneffe Atolls, a part of Glovers Reef,
as well as the waters very near to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye in the North and
Dangriga in the South." It is a huge area and COLA says there
is legitimate reason for concern because of the great environmental dangers
associated with offshore drilling. COLA has demanded to see all the relevant
documents and is asking for explanations. COLA Executive member Geovannie Brackett
is the one spearheading the issue.
Geovannie Brackett, COLA
“Offshore drilling has serious implications. Oil spill is the general
concern everybody would be concerned. The indication that I have gathered from
reading the article in the Amandala or even asking around to government officials
trying to get information is that there is no need to worry because the technology
is highly sophisticated and so there is no threat to environment, to the marine
environment or the barrier reef. Was there any contingency plan mandated by
our laws for these companies to provide and I am talking specifically for off
shore drilling because when you drill for oil on land it is one thing. Drilling
for oil in the ocean is a whole other story. We need to check if our law differentiates
between onshore drilling and offshore drilling. In my estimate and what I’ve
checked so far, and the guys, the specialists in Belize can correct me, they
don’t.
We talk about technology, they want to bring the argument of technology,
that we don’t have to worry, it is the Taiwanese, they are highly technological.
We should also remember that these guys aren’t the best environmentalists
in the world either too. What you should know is that in Australia, a pipe that
was drilled 3,000 feet into the ground, the seabed, had a leakage that caused
it to blow the top off the rig. One million, three hundred thousand gallons
of oil was spilled. The experts, the environmentalists there, say there is no
technology in the world that can clean up that mess. I certainly don’t
see why it is that we have to rush into off shore drilling.
We are awaken here at COLA to deal with environmental issues as well as
among other issues. So this is just one aspect that we want the people of Belize,
even if the majority might not be knowledgeable about it, then it is our job
to get the information out. And if we don’t get it by means of letter
and proper means, we are willing to go to court.”
Cola has invoked the Freedom of Information Act to request a copy of
all documents related to the project.
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