Nassau, Bahamas - The general public can be assured that the government of the Bahamas remains committed to the protection of the Bahamian environment.

The government is making every effort to ensure that projects on going within the country are being carried out in a way that meets environmental standards; this includes the Resorts World project underway on the island of Bimini.

The government is taking all necessary steps to mitigate any environmental impact with regard to the dredging in waters off of Bimini. To this end, upon the government’s insistence, the Developer was required to engage an environmental compliance manager. D & E Partners, a company owned by the former Minister of the Environment, Hon. Earl Deveaux, has been retained to act the Environmental Compliance Manager for the project. The government also required an independent environmental consultant be engaged to oversee the project and in that regard, the company of Ardaman & Associates was retained as an Independent Environmental Consultant on this project. This company is based in Orlando, Florida and has worked on projects in The Bahamas before including the Paradise Island Bridge and the dredging of the Nassau Harbour. The BEST Commission as it is mandated is also monitoring this project to ensure compliance with the laws of The Bahamas and best environmental practices.

I maintain that the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) and the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) documents for this and other projects, past and present, are available for perusal by the general public at the BEST Commission or on their website.

We are a developing nation and as such the government works to ensure that the environment is kept in high regard while providing our citizens with opportunities for investment, entrepreneurship and gainful employment.