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Here are a few excerpts from that 80-minute exchange between the two sides:

Concerned Resident 1
"It was a good technical presentation, it looks like something is being hidden from us because of 31 years' experience on the river, I have seen that with the last few years when ASR took over BSI, and we have seen more damage on our river."

"For the first time, that contaminant has reached Guinea Grass, which has never happened, and I will take the environment for not looking into it. From Guinea Grass to Shipyard, they've been clearing a lot of land on the waterside. It specifically says 66 feet from the riverbank, no trees should be cut down. Who gave them permission? It's only the environment or natural resources."

Dorian Pakeman - Moderator
"Sir, could you begin to wrap up, please? Could you begin to wrap up because you have more people who would like an opportunity as well?"

Concerned Resident 1
"Hold on. Hold on. You see I was under the environment. Actually, the environment was under us."

Dorian Pakeman
"If you could just wrap please, get to the point."

Concerned Resident.
"See that's the sad part is that you come to learn from us. If you were living in Orange Walk, then you'd realize. This is our river. But there are more questions than answers. And I believe that - I don't know if someone from ASR/BSI is in here. The Open Your Eyes - where is the Open Your Eyes?"

"What Environment has never realized is that when we call you, this pollution starts when it is Easter, on that Holy Thursday, Good Friday. That's when you see BSI starts to wash."

Anthony Mai - Environmental Officer, DOE
"I like the fact that he highlights that the Department will definitely need to be more vigilant and visual in looking at the agricultural activities up by Shipyard and that entire area. I agree with you."

Concerned Resident 2
"I am very much concerned because of the problems that we're facing at Tower Hill. Yesterday, we did move more than 3 tonnes of fish out of this little place."

"This morning, well, we had the bigger fish which was dying last night, and we're talking about at least another 5 tonnes of fish. Right now, the community is dying because of the scent not only from the river, and from the dead fish."

"How are you guys gonna help us?"

"You go out there early in the morning, you're gonna see the amount of fish that we still have in front of our house, which has never happened in the past 50 years that I'm living there."

Concerned Resident 3
"The 66-foot limit along the rivers is law. We all can see that the destruction of it is going on. We can see it by the land, and we can see it from satellites. Why is nothing being done to make sure that the 66-foot limit is enforced?"

Anthony Mai
"The 66-feet requirement, to leave 66-feet along any water body is actually in the Lands Act. It's not in the Environmental Protection Act. Let me go on further. The function of the 66-feet reserve was put in place as an easement, but over the years, after studies have been done, the scientists realize that the 66-feet requirement also has an environmental protection purpose."

"Remember I told you that the ECP is one of the strongest environmental tools. If you break the conditions of the ECP, you're breaking the law. And so, the only way we could institute the 66-feet reserve is if we put that within the conditions of the ECP, and then the person who signs the ECP agrees to maintain and keep this buffer in place. I agree that more needs to be done, but that is the fact of the matter as is."

Concerned Resident 4
"I am personally hoping that you will enforce the law. I am specifically asking that you do something tomorrow, starting at 8 o'clock when you open your office. There is contamination due to feces in the river. There are eyewitnesses that see the septic tanks being washed at the river. They're witnesses seeing the fuel tanks being washed at the river. There are people who wash their vehicles at the river. What, I would like to know, are you going to do to arrest these practices?"

"We started our conversations with you all 2017, and I understood then you don't have enough resources. You're saying yes, you're gone ahead, but it's not enough. And I ask again, lately, are we going to hear the same story again, that you don't have enough resources?"

"The people will be willing to work with you. We want to be in full partners with you, and to be full partners with the Town Council and any other parties who are willing to work. And I believe that all of us are."

Concerned Resident 5
"When it comes to the presentation, one of the presentations, very informative, but I noticed a few things. You were telling us that our daily uses are contributing to the deterioration of the river. You mentioned how the tortilla [factories] how it contributed as well. You took time out to defend ASR/BSI. Have they not contributed toward this? Let me finish, then you can answer. 2, I'm saddened, and I'm hurt because I think there is more that could be done. We have to get up, and we have to work this out together. ASR/BSI, we would like to know much percentage have they contributed to the damage and the dying of this river. They are not 100% innocent in this."

Anthony Mai - Environmental Officer, DOE
"I think my presentation shows more clearly that everyone is contributing to the impacts of the river. I tried to be as factual as possible, as it relates to information. In fact, one of the information that was presented was the fact that the data shows that water quality is at its lowest right in front of BSI. We are not here to hide any information. We're here to present the fact. The issue is that there are several contributing factors the reason why the river is the way it is. That is the information that we're presenting to you guys."

Edgar Romero - Concerned Resident
"How can you use BSI's data, when it says here in your so-called Environmental Compliance Plan, which was signed in 2016, the river surveys shall be conducted monthly. So, my question to you guys, how many river surveys have you done? And that data, do you have that data to compare to BSI's data, which you are presenting to us?"

Anthony Mai
"Let me make a point of clarification, listen to what I will tell you, and listen to it carefully. There is no regulation under the environmental laws that says what the quality of surface water should be. And so, if BSI takes - if the DOE comes and we take readings of the river, and if the river is very polluted, we can't charge anyone for that. There is no provision under the law for that. This is what you need to understand clearly. The Department could charge for when the water comes out of the treatment system. And listen to what I'm telling you. This from a legal standpoint, from a regulatory standpoint, is more important. Well not more important, but in terms of the legal perspective, this is how it needs to be done. The reason why the department requested within the ECP for BSI to conduct their river survey, is to provide the information for us to know if there is any environmental concern within the river. So, it's an indicator of when the river is going wrong when the river is going bad. So, we told BSI, you need to study the river for us, and give us the information, so we know when to react, and what to put in place."

Edgar Romero
"But, it's your job. It says, a river survey shall be conducted monthly."

Anthony Mai.
"BSI conducts monthly..."

Edgar Romero
"How can you have the major polluting - the company that's polluting the river the most, they are the ones feeding you this information. How can you compare it?"

Anthony Mai
"Yes, we do this with. For example, BECOL has 3 dams on the river. The Department does not have the resources to collect water. BECOL has about 40+ sample sites. So, this is a part of environmental management. We need the information to understand what is going on. We don't have the manpower and the resources to get - remember, in my presentation, there are 82 effluent generators in Belize. Now, it is difficult for the Department to basically monitor those 82 and still do additional work in terms of river monitoring. That's the reason why we work with companies."

Orlando De La Fuente - Concerned Resident
"What boggles my mind is how could you depend on an entity to regulate themselves, as the Department of Environment you should conduct your own water testing. Number 1. And tonight, I listened to like 2 hours and 30 minutes of a lot of technical data, and the doctor and Aldo came up with what you guys are calling, these are recommendations. Recommendations are not the law. Recommendations are like, hey, I recommend that you cut your hair, start to work out or go on diet. You don't have to do it."

"If you are telling us that we're all responsible, why don't you require that of us? Why don't you go to Maracas, go to the Town Council, go to the tortilla factory and say, hey, you're causing this is how much you're responsible for in causing harm to the river?"

Anthony Mai - Environmental Officer, DOE
"I mentioned that we already met with the Orange Walk Town Council. We have identified some key industries that we want to work with. Now, I don't want to use the word to bring down the hammer. The way that the Department of Environment works is that we work together to improve. And so, when we meet with these light industries, the idea is to say listen, you have a wastewater issue, let's work together to resolve the issue."

The event started at 7:30 and finished at 11:00.

The DOE assured the residents of Orange Walk that they are making a proposed Water Shed Management Plan for the New River a top priority.