PLH developers submit remediation plan
Sep 26, 2020 | The Big Stories | 0 comments
Work is ongoing at the site in Barbuda (Facebook photos)
By Theresa Goodwin
The Development Control Authority (DCA) and the Department of Environment (DOE) will be working diligently with the Fisheries Department to assess and monitor a remediation plan that has been submitted by the developers of the Peace Love and Happiness (PLH) project.
The PLH developers submitted the detailed report, equipped with a work plan, in a September 4th letter addressed to the DCA, days after the government department gave them 5 business days to correct a string of violations that were identified by both the DCA and the DOE.
Chief Town and Country Planner Frederick Southwell confirmed in a letter dated September 11, that the DCA was in receipt of a remediation plan from the PLH team. His letter was addressed to Chief Environment Officer, Diann Black-Layne.
The DOE had earlier claimed that PLH had reversed wetland mitigation action and damaged Palmetto vegetation, along with historic sand dunes which help protect the island against storm surges.
The developers were also accused of conducting work on the project from July 16th without any environmental and scientific review guidelines. They were asked to take immediate steps to address the violations and bring the project back in compliance.
OBSERVER has since obtained a copy of the document in which the PLH team outlined that they have since developed protocols for mitigating wetlands and native dune species, among other measures.
"We previously developed protocols for mitigating wetland and native sand dunes species that were included under the EMMP [Environmental Monitoring and Management Programme]. These do not need to be redeveloped and can be incorporated here, saving time and effort in the mitigation plan. The key elements are to identify the scope of damage and commensurate mitigation effort as well as to re-institute the process that worked effectively until this event," the letter read.
"We understand that there have been changes to the design and plan and that these may result in a change in the location of the golf course and of the wetland mitigation area. We will incorporate any such changes during site visits. All activities will be conducted under the framework of the EMMP," the letter continued.
OBSERVER media reached out to the Chief Environment Officer for comment and was referred to the DCA. Efforts to contact the Chief Town and Country Planner have proven futile.