Why I protested BEC......

[Local Knowledge]

On October 14th I was informed that a friend’s house in HT had been recently burglarized & the circumstances that followed really pissed me off. So added together with my frustrations about the ongoing boat thefts as well as the National Disgrace known as Marsh Harbour International Airport, along with the Government ramming the Wilsons City location down our collective throats I just had to vent. I really wanted to protest BEC, the Airport & the Police’s lack of manpower and resources all at the same time. In hindsight, I think we would have had more people show up if we had done so. Instead, I chose to concentrate on the BEC issue as I felt this was most pressing at the time. I was told by plenty people that it would be a waste of time ‘cause the power plant “is a done deal”. I went ahead with planning the demo anyway, it couldn’t hurt to try, only takes a spark to start a large fire, business is slow now, I didn’t have much to do at work, so we did it, on 23/10, a Friday, in downtown MH. 79 people showed up, and for 2 hours we let passing motorists know how we felt. What effect it had, who knows? Perhaps in the future Central Government will be more liable to ask local people for input before massive $$ are spent going in the wrong direction.

People please do not misunderstand me here. I AM NOT OPPOSED TO A NEW POWER PLANT. I look forward to a consistent supply of power just like everyone else and the sooner the better. If 48 megawatts is what is needed to provide consistent electricity to Abaco residents and visitors, now and into the next 20 years or so, then so be it. However, as a Marine Technician (fancy term for outboard mechanic) with 35 years experience, I am not convinced that our new power station will end power outages during peak periods. The transmission and distribution system is a big weakness that will need to be properly addressed, in my humble opinion, before we can expect our power to stay on thru the times of maximum demand. Think about it. BEC Abaco supplies a much larger area than Nassau, they got plenty MW in Nassau and they have outage as well, because this transformer or that cable blew, not because there isn’t enough MW to go around. So what kind of preventative maintenance program, if any, does BEC have in place now for all those miles of cable, above ground, underground and below the sea not to mention thousands of transformers & disconnects some of this equipment exposed to heavy concentrations of salt spray, tree branches slapping, etc.

I am convinced that there are people at BEC (upper management) that haven’t a clue how important preventative maintenance can be, that their mentality is “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and “if it breaks do the minimum needed to get the power back on”. Time and time again there have been problems with the underwater cable to Elbow Cay, Man O War and Great Guana Cay and what does BEC do? Splice it back together and hope for the best. Why not replace these cables with something that is more durable in the marine environment as well as being able to handle the load with reserve capacity? Seems like a no brainer but…..Let me say that I am in no way slamming the BEC linesmen, like Lloyd Rolle or Pepper Thompson, who come out day and night, all sorts of weather to fix the problem, only to have to fix the same thing again next week. I know they tell their supervisor what really needs to happen to fix the problem, but who knows what happens in the chain of command after that? The transformer station on North Parrot Cay was in a deplorable condition for months after a transformer fire took place there and was not properly repaired until after the first U Tube video hit the internet showing this just prior to the September 10th meeting. I suspect someone in upper management, like Fred Gottleib, Chairman of BEC, first found out about the shoddy conditions at the transformer station because of that video, and as a result, it was properly repaired early October, finally.

Se here is BEC, our supplier of electricity, who can’t deal with things like upgrading the power cables to handle the load or repairing transformer stations in a timely manner, how will they handle the inevitable spill of Bunker C fuel into the water or ground? I shudder to think. Oh, they (BEC) say, we been handling Bunker C for 20 years in Nassau we know what to do if we have a spill. I disagree, and so do lots of other people. And all those MW, which we may need now and WILL need going forward, they are going to be blowing cables, transformers & switches like mad.

So what is the point in posting this long winded (for me) Rant? It’s simple. If we expect dependable electricity with a reasonable degree of environmental responsibility thrown in we must stay vigilant and not drop our guard down. We got to keep on BEC and the Government. How best to do this? In my opinion the best thing to do is make noise. BEC will need a spill response team, properly trained and equipped to handle the situation. They have none for Abaco. I think they should be advertising for Bahamians RIGHT NOW to fill these positions so that they can be in place when the first tanker load of the gunk arrives at Wilsons City. Will they do this? Only if we keep the pressure on! Because if we do not, they will not do anything till it happens, THEN they will respond. But how much damage will be done while they scramble to clean up with inadequate training or equipment? Scary thought.

We need to make noise folks, local as well as 2nd homeowners and regular visitors. We all pay taxes so we all have a say. Internet chatting is good, but not good enough. Coordinated letters, faxes, e mails, personal appearances at key Government offices with a crowd of people and public protests are all methods that have generated results in the past, on issues such as longlineing & road paving for example. So perhaps the Wilsons City location IS a “done deal”. That would be a shame. But we can still put pressure on BEC to get a spill response team for Abaco. And while we are putting pressure on the Government, how about the new MH airstrip? And that small, outdated terminal? Could we also please have a few more Police for Abaco with enough equipment to properly fight crime/boat thefts? Is this asking too much? No way! I care for my Country and its future I just cannot sit back any longer to “wait and see”. I await your suggestions as to how we can move forward in a positive way. Thanks for taking time to read this.

LK.

[SamFamAustin]

Being light on work today -- hopefully not a continuing thing -- I'd like to respond in a tangential way, an example from Texas. Draw your own conclusions about the Abacos.

As background, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has some quite outdated information that shows that the red snapper, a species common in the Gulf of Mexico as a reef fish, was over-fished to the point of being extinct. Contrarily, other university scientists (and of course us fishermen) found the exact opposite, that there were so many red snapper they were eating all the bait in the Gulf, and were becoming very large and numerous pests ... the average weight growing from 4 pound skimps to 10 pound behemoths. Still, the NMFS is proposing to lower the allowable catch to nearly nothing, and raise all the taxes on fishing for red snapper, both commercially and recreationally.

In response, many fishermen got seriously mad at the government for ignoring the "best science" and the people who know the real situation better. Blockades were proposed for the Port of Destin, FL and are being considered in Galveston and Freeport, TX. These are protests, much in the way of what Capt. Plug organized against BEC.

Note that this would be a peaceful assembly of boats, and instead of a "blockade" we'd simply mill around the passes and jetties for a few hours of media exposure - then a nice lunch and libations at the dockside. We'd let the cops and Coast Guard know in advance. It sounds like if we can get a TV station and a newspaper, we're going to do it, too!

Do these kinds of protests really work? No, not really. But try calling and writing letters and emailing the powers-that-be and see how far you get with them. Usually you will get no response, or on a good day, a form letter saying "thank you for your interest on the matter." So I think that by generating more exposure and spreading the word that you're serious, and show it during a protest, people will become more involved and THINK more about the problem.

And I think that is a good idea. My hat goes off to you, Capt. Plug.
sammie

[gazeboman]

Outstanding explanation & post Stafford!;) Keep up the good work. BEC needs to feel the concerns of the people -if not there will not be a spill response team, something every bahamian should insist be in place before the first load of goo crosses one of the jewels of the Abacos.

[DrRalph]

We need to make noise folks, local as well as 2nd homeowners and regular visitors. We all pay taxes so we all have a say. Internet chatting is good, but not good enough. Coordinated letters, faxes, e mails, personal appearances at key Government offices with a crowd of people and public protests are all methods that have generated results in the past, on issues such as longlineing & road paving for example. So perhaps the Wilsons City location IS a “done deal”. That would be a shame. But we can still put pressure on BEC to get a spill response team for Abaco. And while we are putting pressure on the Government, how about the new MH airstrip? And that small, outdated terminal? Could we also please have a few more Police for Abaco with enough equipment to properly fight crime/boat thefts? Is this asking too much? No way! I care for my Country and its future I just cannot sit back any longer to “wait and see”. I await your suggestions as to how we can move forward in a positive way. Thanks for taking time to read this.

Folks, we've just finished two long threads about the power plant. Capt. Plug is talking about activism in this thread, making noise to get the attention of the government so that plant and the infrastructure are appropriately addressed. Let's work on contacting the powers; ranting here won't accomplish much, but we can help with organization. Please keep that in mind as you post on this thread.

And on a cynical note, if you get the urge to pull the "You tourasses can't tell us Bahamians what to do" krap, please note that Capt. Plug has specifically asked for help from "2nd homeowners and regular visitors."

[SamFamAustin]

Gosh are we messing up already?

[DrRalph]

Just providing a little direction, Sammie.

[papanasty]

The mention of transmission lines and transformer upgrades keep coming up as having to be done!!! All of Elbow Cay is completed on the upgrade including new transmission lines and transformers.... Let me remind all of you that 8000 ft of new underground or submarine cable has been laid and is live from Crossing Bay house covering the entire north end including Pad transformers!!! All transformers have been replaced and upgraded on Elbow cay meaning the entire island to 13200 KVA a total of 176 transformers in the last year!!! This includes the Settlement of Hopetown and going south to the tip of Tahiti beach I know this to be fact because i did the work!!!!!

The Submarine cables to Man O War and Guana Cay have been laid and upgrade but i can not verify the transformers on the Cays because i did not do the work.... Some one from Man O war and Guana could comment on this if they have valid information.....

Do not express information you have no knowlwdge of because BEC has been doing all they can to do the upgrade and deal with NORMAL break downs that happen.... We are not uneek to failures they happen every were in this buisness....That is why power companys have line man crews!!!!

The old saying **** happens and no matter if every thing was brand new failures are going to accure....

As far as when a cable is severed because of some one and i do not want to use the word Dumb Tourass because when a cable is severed it is no ones fault becaue again **** happens and because of a severed cable you do not replace the whole cable because of a break,DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THAT CABLE COSTS??????? and when a cable get severed and it is repaired it is as good if done properly as a cable section that has never been severed!!!!!

The infrastructure has been upgraded and by the time the new Plant is ready to go on line i expect that all the Cays will be ready to recieve a quality and hopefully steady supply of electricity.... Your message to chastise BEC for failure to keep us suppied with electricity on a all the time basis is impossible with the plant that they have to work with now.... I am surprised they are able to keep us in power with what they have to work with at this present time.....

To many people think that suppying power to every one in Abaco is an easy as baking a pie well it isn't and again i commend BEC for doing a great job in keeping us lit with what they have to work with.....

All these men that work on the lines crews are the best because there job never ends they are on call even when they are not working 24-7 if some thing happens they have to go to work to get the repair done!!!! None of us have to do this in our jobs most of us after 5 we are done for the day and there day never ends......Just my 2 cents Repectfully Papanasty :):)

[trubahamian]

I also am aware that the entire primary feed and most transformers on Elbow Cay have been upgraded. I was wondering what Stafford was speaking of?:confused:

[mlmp]

Sure hope all the work papa nasty did lasts longer than the bulkhead at Sunshine Park.

[it'lldo]

papa said--The old saying **** happens and no matter if every thing was brand new failures are going to accure....




so you can understand the concerns.

[trubahamian]

I think Lorin did pretty well considering he had little to work with and he said strate up in the beginning it wouldn't hold up if heavily used.

[papanasty]

Ah the Bulkhead...I have been waiting for some one to hit me on that....First off that first bulkhead that was put there and was done my me in 1993 when i worked for Hilland albury.... That bulkhead lasted through Hurricane Floyd And started to deteriate after Hurricane Gene And Francis

The Local board Cheif Counsler came to me asking me if there was any thing i could possibly do as a stop Gap measure until they could get funds to Properly rebuild the complete Bulk head at Sunshine Park.....i put together a price to repair the present bulkhead using as much material that i could salvage from the old Bulkhead and donated all the rest of the materials except some sheeting i needed that i either did not have or was gone from the Bulkhead deteriating

I donated piling..Sheeting copper treated 12" X 10' that i had left from the repair of the Bulkhead up in Whitesound that actually belonged to Chester Thompson and upon asking him if i could use it to repair the Sunshine park Bulkhead would it be OK....

I alos donated the cable to use for the tie backs 6 X19 Wire rope that i had that i change off of my large crane for saftey reasons and the deadman required to use for the repair of the Bulkhead....

I removed all the sheeting i could salvage and had to buy some sheeting from Man O War Hardware including the sheeting that Chester Had OKed me to use

Upon working on the Bulkhead mention came up of using the repaired Bulkhead as a place to off load freight and asked me if that would be possible and i admitted that if they could get in to off load with out having to dredge it would be possible but i advised them that the Bulkhead sheeting was only in the bottom a couple of feet and the barge could possibly undermine the area were they wanted to off load from the prop wash of the barge...

After completing the work the barge tried to use the area to off load and they could not get close enough to off load the barge safely and the area needed to be dredged and again i advised them that this would not be in the best interest of the integrity of the bulkhead and advised against it....

The local board in turn asked me that they would assume the responsability and felt that it would not create a problem to just remove a couple of feet of material so the barge could get in and off load and also had spoken to Abacays and they told the loacl board that all they do is run the props to get in and to leave and that they do not leave the barge in gear when at the Bulkhead to off load....

So i removed some of the fill in front of the wall at the south end at the request of the loacal council so the barge could get in.... shortly after the barge company started to use the area to off load Holes began to appear around the off loading area ....I filled in the areas several times that had been washed away by the prop wash and asked the barge to off load or turn the barge around because that area towards the south end was already deeper than any were else in front of the Bulkhead and with in a week that area started to have holes appear and i again told the local board that they need to stop using the area to off load freight because the barge was going to wash or under mine the sheeting that is only 10' long and the wall is going to collapse......

Sure enough the Bulkhead continued to errode and collapse to its present condition and as i said i told the loacl counsil and the barge company that this was going to happen and no one LISTENED!!!!

At present the Bulkhead has collapsed were the barge comes in and off loads freight and if you will notice the area near the lodge dock were the barge never goes has some deteriation but has not collapsed,I assume common sence tells me that if they would have listened to me the Bulkhead would probably still be there....

I did the job for basicly NOTHING!!! and to date still have not recieved the balance of the money that is owed to me for the Job that i did for the community...... Before you run your mouth with inuendo you need to no THE REST OF THE STORY GOOD DAY Repectfully Papansty:(:(:(

[BahamaAngie]

Papa, I don't mean to be disrespectful but it is a good thing you are a GOOD businessman because you would NEVER make it as a spelling teacher! I crack up when I see your postings!!!

[papanasty]

Ya i know i'm to lazy to use spell check and didn't do to well in English but i got straight A's in Shop Class..Your welcome to correct my posts any time you want to and it would not offend me as long as you don't change the content Repsectfully Papanasty :):)

[SamFamAustin]

Hey Papa, I guess we got off that sensitive WC topic and the protests for a bit, but was wondering is a head-on barge landing should have been the way to go. We use them quite a bit in protected harbors down here. Simply reinforce the bulkhead with some really massive pilings and push that barge against the dock while loading and unloading. Load from the bow using a large forklift and maybe a crane. I've seen it done many times, even in two knots of cross current and a sideways 20-MPH wind. That keeps the props from undercutting the bulkhead, since you're right you can put the boat in gear and it won't move for a minute or two - but the water shoots like the devil (I've seen tugs suck the water from under a barge and temporarily ground it before). When parked perpendicular to the quay, you don't have near the problem except when you reverse away and leave, which should be done a low to medium power if possible.

Anyway, I feel so sorry about the saga of that dock done on-the-cheap. A proper quay, dock, or bulkhead runs hundreds of dollars a foot for the commercial stuff, sometimes running into millions. It must be hard to set something to its rights and then see it fall apart.

What do you think about my head-on design though? Seems to work for shallow waters and soft landings, but you need one heck of a crash barrier for when the barge touches the dock! LOL, I've seen them bend over triple pilings and steel bollards before, but the thang still worked just fine, no damage. Need to be flexible here...
-sammie :)

[trubahamian]

There is a time to tug up on and keep her in gear on a wharf and a time to tie on the wharf.Depends on the situation.Wen loading one large very heavy piece we would always keep her in gear against the wharf even if she was tied to absorb the weight and the force of the weight trying to push the barge away from the wharf..... Captain's discretion Sammie. A good tug Captain and a crack crew can make it look like ballet.

[BCDavid]

Papanasty,

I am confused by your position on this topic. I have noticed from your posts on the internet that you are against incompatible development on Elbow Cay yet you are for incompatible development at Wilson City and Guana Cay. Many of the same reasons you are promoting for the downside of incompatible development are the same arguments being used for the other two locations. No doubt, development and more electricity are needed however both need to be done in a compatible manner, not just on or near Elbow Cay.

[BCDavid]

Did anyone else notice the irony of the ad in the Abaconian where Hopetown and Spring City are saying that if you start building without a permit you will be prosecuted? It seems like mixed messages are being sent considering the BEC power plant is being built without permits.

[trubahamian]

As a Bahamian from Hopetown I would like to respond to you BC David. I,like many felt that the Bakers Bay development was inappropriate and have voiced my opinion as such many times.However after it was apparent that the Government,Courts and the people of Abaco wanted it,I must support the general consensus and hope the development goes well.As far as the Elbow Cay Club development goes,I support it with a scaled down marina/breakwater and a less dense housing plan.Hopetown is already much more densely developed than Guana and the infrastructure needs to be considered.

As far as the Wilson City power plant location goes I think building in the area of the present plant in Great Abaco would have been the best option,because all the risks would have been concentrated in one easy to respond to location. Considering our Government has already determined that the plant WILL be in Wilson City and I feel Normans Castle is even a worse place to put it,I respect their decision and hope that they will have proper environmental safeguards and spill response procedures in place concerning the daily operation of the new plant.

[papanasty]

BCDAVID... I am for development 100% always have and always will...I'm not against the development in Hopetown concerning the Elbow Cay Club or for that matter Joes Cay.... I'm against that montrosity of a Marina sticking out in the Sea Of Abaco and would like to see less density in the plans for the development on land at the Elbow Cay Club but if thats what they want to do on land so be it i would except it..

I have lived here for 20 years and have been a major player in the development of what Hopetown and Whitesound are today, I'm the one that filled Monty Alburys dream of the Marina in Whitesound or better known as Sea Spray Resort because i dredged the channel going in to Whitesound Harbor and the Marina area and was instrumental in filling in the land next to Sea Spry and areas were the bar and pool are in 1991&1992.

I spent my whole life other than when i was in the Navy cleaning up large corporations messes before i came to Abaco so i know a little bit about Hazordus materials and Pollution and personaly from what i have experianced in my earlier years working in the clean up of Hazorus waste and sludge ponds at Paper Mills and Fly Ash at large power plants and waste ponds at steel mills any time people talk about the enviornment here and the detramental destruction that is going to be done by building a power plant, by the way that we desperatly NEED.. I think to myself you all aint seen nothing when it comes to pollution..

Don't get me wrong when the Plant is built it needs the state of the art safe gaurds implamented immediatly if not sooner to ensure that there is never a situation that can not be addressed as soon as possible.. This should be there first priority...

All or most of you members are from the US were the issue of pollution and bad steward ship concerning Human Waste, Power plant Emmisions,< fly ash > Mill sludge, Clay sludge ponds from the making of phosphates, Have you ever been through Ft. Mead Florida or Bartow Florida the Chemical phosphate industry has destroyed that part of Florida for EVER!!!

There are thousands of acres of containment ponds for the by product of producing phophates with dikes hundreds of acres and dike walls 60 ft. high filled to the brim with clay slimes that will never never go away in a thousand years!!

So when people express there concern about one Power Plant that will make the quality of our life 110% better and i do believe with little or no impact to the enviornment.. I think to myself there not even looking in there own back yard to see just how ****ed up it is in there own back yard and there worried about our back yard:confused:.

Please don't take this personnal as this is my VIEW of the whole situation..When i dreged in Whitesound the local poulation was enraged at me and Monty claiming i was sucking up all the fish and the turtles and particulars to the such...None of that happened and i knew it would'nt happen and Whitesound is as vibrant and full of sea life as it was before i moved the first yard of material...

As far as compatible development i feel the majority are very misinformed or scared in to tactics such as the video that has been produced for as they state inform the people of the facts and my opinion on the videos is that the true facts are grossly exaggerated and there are only a hand full of people such as Sammie myself and some others that really can decifer what is fact and what is complete unequivicaly untrue or exaggerated.... respectfully Papanasty :):):) Bahamaangie you can now correct the spelling in my post :)

[Local Knowledge]

Papa Nasty how many years/power outages did it take before BEC did the upgrades to their infrastructure on Elbow Cay? Despite the fact that you did some work for them you know as well as I do that these upgrades/replacments were WAY overdue. So lets cut the **** that they have a proper preventative maintanance program in place because they DO NOT. BEC only acts when there is a problem. The only exception that I can think of is that they occasionally trim a few trees close to the powerlines. How many YEARS we been telling BEC the large casurinas along the road just past the school needed to be cut. Thank goodness they finally have done so. As for the other islands it is possible they replaced the underwater cable recently but how many days this past summer did Man O War & Guana suffer because the cable was bad? Plenty. Just ask someone from there. And when is the next transformer replacment excercise scheduled for Elbow Cay? 1 year? 5 years? How long can one expect these transformers to last in the salt air? I would bet my life that NOWHERE in BECs managment there exists a scheduled plan to replace our new transformers in 1/5/whenever years 'cause thats not how they work and Nasty knows this.

LK

[papanasty]

Thats rediculas to assume that when equipment gets a certain age that it be replaced just because it might some day fail!!! Do you go out an buy new engines every 3 years just to ensure that your boats won't break down hell no you make them last as long as you can and get as much out of them as you can...

Just like equipment thaT I OWN i would never even consider buying a new tractor or truck because no matter what you buy used or new your only going to get 4 years out of it before its in deplorable condition as expressed by todd a couple of days ago because his truck is SHOT and its only 4 years old...

No one including power companys run this type of buisness in this manner unless they got a **** load of money to throw away...

And if they did some one has to pay for it and this would result in increased power bills and they are already to high Respectfully Papanasty...:) Oh and by the way your membranes are about 10 years old now in your water maker just because they are that old even though they are producing good water maybe you should replace them because they might fail and contaminate the water you have in your cisterns:eek:

[BCDavid]

Papanasty,

People trade in cars all the time when they become unreliable and there are plenty of industries that have equipment replacement intervals so that production lines are not shut down. Individuals and business make a cost benefit analysis to decide if it is worth replacing before failure or not. When replacement is expected and there is a benefit to a quick fix, historical data can be used to ensure there are replacement parts nearby to ensure the down time is minimized. Does that cost more, yes but depending on the situation, it is worth it. The problem with a power company is that they are deciding for the rest of us if the downtime and potential personal or business cost is OK. When the power system becomes unreliable and a business loses customers, replacing parts sooner can save money. Electricity is one item that I would pay more for to have more reliability. Certain other items like a TV, not so much.

I am interested in LK's response since as a business owner he has done the cost benefit analysis for himself to determine if replacing his boat motors before they start stranding people in far away places is worth the upgrade cost.

[BCDavid]

Trubahamian,

Thanks for the response. One of the arguments against the Wilson City location is that there are many days when spill containment is impossible due to the wave conditions there. Is the spill response plan just for the calm days? Or should an enormous breakwater be built so that all boat traffic is squeezed between that breakwater and the breakwater surrounding the proposed marina on Lynyard that is directly across from it?

Regarding the Elbow Cay Club, when the developer comes in and starts building the marina without permits (after all, BEC is apparently allowed to do it) or without any consideration of your input and a few people in Marsh are for it because they want the few extra jobs associated with the larger size, are you then going to start supporting the project with high density and the overly large Marina?

Both projects have better (more compatible) alternatives including a more reasonable density on Elbow and a less ecologically important location that Wilson City. I agree with Sammie that spills are bound to happen so as Stafford and others say, now is the time to do it right.

[papanasty]

Our Company more or less does all of BEC repairs or assist in repairs or maintenance here on Elbow Cay..When there is a transformer to replace we usualy assist the crew in the work to ensure the outage is as minimal as possible...

If there is a pole that needs to be put in or replaced we stop what ever we are doing and are at the full disposal of BEC and its crew to get the job done as soon as possible,in fact any time they call us for assistance we immediately drop what we are doing and focus on what they need us to do..

Most of the residents of Hopetown have no idea how lucky they are to have some one on the Cay with the equipment and expertise to be able to assist the BEC crew in dealing with the problem and getting it resolved and the power back on, Imagine waiting for a barge to bring in equipment because a pole caught on fire and is no longer usable and needs to be replaced before power can be restored to the Cay, we have the equipment and capability to do that immediately and have done it many times in the past...

I willl take the time this evening to look back and coralate a graph of the money spent on Elbow Cay over the last 5 years with our company on varoius upgrades maintenance and emergency work done with our Company..

As far as the replacement of transformers recently and the installation of the new submarine cable...The transformers were upgraded to 13200 KVA because that is what they are now sending to Elbow Cay were as the old system i believe was 1300KVA system...Some of the north end until recently upgraded was even lower than the above... This ment that all the transformers on the island had to be changed out to handle the incoming higher voltage although some of the transformers pole and pad were already in place and are capable of various voltage ranges on the incoming side of the transformer just by the way the BEC crew make the connection to the transformer...

The new submarine cables had to be laid because the old cable that was in place will not handle the higher voltage delivery,it will work but not for very long as when doing the entire upgrade on the Cay at times we used some of the old in ground cable going to the old Cay Club and ended up having to trench from the power station all the way to the transformers at the club that were upgraded because the old cable kept blowing..

My point is that on ALL the Cays BEC recently over the course of the last year has been doing nothing but upgrading to get ready for the higher voltage now being delivered by transmission lines to the new upgraded transformers and are continueing the upgrading until the new Plant is up and running and after the Plant is up and Running...

Do any of you seriously think that Bahamas Electric Corporation Employees Go to work every day and they all just sit on there Asses doing nothing waitng for the power to fail:confused: :confused: Again I commend the Lines Men from BEC that have no personal life because what the few have to do to keep the power on 24-7 is a immense task to say the least.. Repectfully Papanasty :):)

[JJ]

I don't know anything about the BEC situation, but I can tell you that US utilities typically have repair and replacement programs on set schedules. The idea is to repair and replace as necessary before failure occurs.

[BCDavid]

Papanasty,

Your environmental argument against the current Joe's Cay plan and the importance of mangroves is what I was mainly referring to.

Is it wrong for us to look at the mistakes in the USA and learn from them so that similar disasters are not repeated in the Bahamas? Especially when the Bahamas is so much more dependent on tourism than the USA?

We seem to mainly disagree about whether the plant and location is an environmental disaster waiting to happen or not and you talk about ensuring that it does not become a disaster by installing state of the art safeguards. How do you propose to make sure BEC does that?

I do not take your comments personally however I would like to state the following so that maybe others will post more freely.

Many people on this Forum own property in Abaco so Abaco is also their back yard, be they foreign or citizens, part time or full time. How many years was it until you decided that you had more say in Abaco than other property owners. Or is it that you live in Abaco all year and others only live there 9 months or whatever the length of time is. Some of the non Bahamian people on this forum live in Abaco 11 or 12 months a year yet you point out that you have been there 20 years and Trubahamian points out that he is Bahamian, implying that 20 years or being Bahamian is required before someone can consider Abaco their back yard? Would you also say that Bahamians owning property in the USA have no right to question projects that impact their property in the USA? Are you and Trubahamian advocating that development is good however the buyers should only be people that don't want a say? Maybe have the buyer sign a piece of paper saying that they understand that they have no say or rights with respect to their property and will keep their mouth shut. I think you might find that people will not buy if you do that.

One of my childhood friends in Hope Town firmly believes that the government should arbitrarily take (no payment) land back from foreigners that purchased it and give it back to Bahamians who sold it. Of course if that happened, I believe there would be a mass exodus of second homeowners.

Meddling in Politics is a totally separate issue from homeowner/landowner rights.

Sorry to get off track.

[JJ]

Whether visitors/second homeowners have a legal say is one thing. More important, when they are as big a part of the economy as they are in the Bahamas and the Abacos, I would think their opinions would be worthy of consideration and have merit.

[SusieAndAl]

BCDavid,

First, I want to thank you for your most interesting and thoughtful posts. Well done.

Secondly, please understand that my wife Susie and I built a home about 10 miles south of the plant site. Our little home is a truly wonderful place to live and we hope to grow old here and then pass it on to our children. (We are American citizens and own homes here and in other countries). So, this really is our backyard and we will be impacted more than most Forum members should anything go wrong.

Third, may I strongly disagree with your notion that meddling in politics is different than landowner rights. Nothing could be further from the truth (well, maybe a few things that have been posted but that's another story!). May I suggest you reread your Bahamian history about foreign ownership. Also, study the Lands and Survey mess and you'll soon realize your error.

Fourth, I will say it once more: foreigners (including me) do all of us - especially Bahamians - a huge disservice with public rants. It only stokes the irrational flames of nationalism and is actually counterproductive.

If you really want to be effective as a foreigner in The Bahamas, please do it by getting together, make strong arguments based on facts and then quietly and privately support your Bahamian friends. They own the country; they must be at the forefront; they must fight (with our private assistance) to keep this precious jewel for their children. (Mr Stafford, that's why I didn't attend your rally. I felt it would be unwise for a non-Bahamian to publicly protest. If you think I'm in error, please let me know).

Fifth, you are absolutely correct re learning from US (and other countries) mistakes. But please be careful in how you say this. Be constructive. Put forth a proposal for spill control/pollution control that is reasonable and proven given local conditions. Don't just say "they gotta have it". I don't have the technical skills in this area to help here; perhaps some other Forum members do.

Finally, thanks again for your posts. I look forward to many more.

Regards,

Al

[SamFamAustin]

Interesting debating point. Only "real Bahamians" get to vote and have a voice in government, yet if you own property such as my parents do, you have a fairly large economic investment in the land - and the people and the land use policies and the environment!

I don't know if the government is playing that card or not, pitting the "real Bahamians" against the foreigner land owners. At times there does seem to be a callous preference for mega-tourist projects and developments instead of really cool, funky cottages used as second homes and rentals. You have to admit, some of these "foreigner" cottages are way beyond cute, and all are fairly expensive to buy or build. I guess there's a dual standard here, second class residents if you will.

Interestingly, if you're going to protest Wilson City, it seems as though the casual tourist is almost entirely omitted from the discussion, yet tourism is the single largest industry in the Bahamas. This creates an unusual dialectic: the tourists bring all the cash, but have nobody at the table for debating such important things.

Think about that when you ponder what you think about Wilson City and whether you want to protest it. It really shouldn't be about YOU, but about a sustainable environment that promotes tourism while maintaining that "family island feel" that is so worldwide famous. Many, many tourists read bloggies such as this one, and must be confused ... these folks tend to be moderately wealthy, love birding and snorkeling and nature, and are always looking for those last frontiers of great places and experiences.

There's an emerging soft science called "geo-tourism" that deals with such issues as sustainability, history, place, environment, and open spaces. It is much more than simple "eco-tourism." The National Geographic is one of the better resources on this. For example, it rates Key West fairly high but dings it severely for the cruise ships, tacky t-shirt shops, and overwhelming crowds. It passed over our island, SPI, because of rampant, ugly condos. It gave Block Island some very high standing because of all the conservation land (30%) and historical features. The Faroe Islands were number 1.

Given all that, putting a stinkpot next to a blue sink-hole and a marine sanctuary seems a tad ... well strange, like it should be protested because it seems to sap some of the sustainability of the regional economy and tourism just by being where it is. There is no small amount of NIMBY (not in my backyard) to all this, true, as we need a stinkpot somewhere! But looking at the big picture, that is what I see, good or bad or indifferent. -sammie

[trubahamian]

BCDavid,

First, I want to thank you for your most interesting and thoughtful posts. Well done.

Secondly, please understand that my wife Susie and I built a home about 10 miles south of the plant site. Our little home is a truly wonderful place to live and we hope to grow old here and then pass it on to our children. (We are American citizens and own homes here and in other countries). So, this really is our backyard and we will be impacted more than most Forum members should anything go wrong.

Third, may I strongly disagree with your notion that meddling in politics is different than landowner rights. Nothing could be further from the truth (well, maybe a few things that have been posted but that's another story!). May I suggest you reread your Bahamian history about foreign ownership. Also, study the Lands and Survey mess and you'll soon realize your error.

Fourth, I will say it once more: foreigners (including me) do all of us - especially Bahamians - a huge disservice with public rants. It only stokes the irrational flames of nationalism and is actually counterproductive.

If you really want to be effective as a foreigner in The Bahamas, please do it by getting together, make strong arguments based on facts and then quietly and privately support your Bahamian friends. They own the country; they must be at the forefront; they must fight (with our private assistance) to keep this precious jewel for their children. (Mr Stafford, that's why I didn't attend your rally. I felt it would be unwise for a non-Bahamian to publicly protest. If you think I'm in error, please let me know).

Fifth, you are absolutely correct re learning from US (and other countries) mistakes. But please be careful in how you say this. Be constructive. Put forth a proposal for spill control/pollution control that is reasonable and proven given local conditions. Don't just say "they gotta have it". I don't have the technical skills in this area to help here; perhaps some other Forum members do.

Finally, thanks again for your posts. I look forward to many more.

Regards,

Al

I hope to meet you and discuss life with you one day Susie. I'm sure I could learn somethin worthwhile.You are a very insightful person and you truly have a grip not only on the Bahamas and the Bahamian attitude,but you understand human nature as well.

[starfish]

Papanasty, I have lived on Guana Cay for several years and BEC has done NO upgrades whatsoever. The only upgrade has been a fiber optic cable that goes to Bakers. The underground cable that BEC has running from Marsh Harbour to Guana Cay has been cut 7 times by the Barges that go to Bakers (7times). All they do is splice them back together. The cable needs to be replaced and put underground from Marsh Harbour to Guana so this does not continue to happen (it does not take a rocket scientist to figure that out - BEC has not figured it out yet - hmmm). 2 years ago BEC and Batelco had a meeting up at the school and the whole island told them that the wires were hanging from plenty lamppost - we took them out in golfcarts after the meeting and showed them - the next day they came to Guana and spray-painted some red paint under the lamppost and NEVER returned to fix the wires (that was 2 years ago). Anybody can come to Guana Cay and still see the wires still hanging and still see the red spray-paint under the poles. You are welcomed to come to Guana Cay and see for yourself. BEC does no PREVENTIVE MAINTANCE whatsoever on Guana. Can't speak for the rest of the cays, but on Guana NO PREVENTIVE MAINTANCE.

[SamFamAustin]

Starfish, if I may add some insights here. Most electric utilities only fix problems if the power is out for a customer, or many if a distribution transformer goes out. I don't know where y'all get this idea about preventative maintenance, since it is rarely ever done except for some tree trimming. It could be that you have some "dead lines" on the telephone poles, especially for old TV and telephone wires, and maybe disconnected electrical service, but no way do they leave hot wires out there. With 6,400 or 12,800 volts up there, no way you leave sparking wires dangling from an electrical pole. Never happen.

The usual response is to a pole down, a transformer that grounded and burst, a fusible link that is sparking, down lines, accidents like vehicles hitting telephone poles, and blown distribution transformers at the pole yard. Sometimes telephone poles catch on fire, such as when covered in wet salt spray or more typically, after a lightning strike. There is no preventative maintenance for any of these things, other than to keep lots of spare wire, parts, insulators, fuses, and transformers handy. At best, every 2 to 5 years the electrical company will inspect their telephone poles to see if they are rotten yet, and replace the bad ones. Few electrical companies are very religious about replacing old poles, though.

I am not trying to be confrontational in the least. And perhaps you had an interesting observation about the submarine electrical cables, which preferably should be triple insulated and buried two feet into the ground where possible - our submerged lines of two 64 KV (that's thousands of volts) to our island was a million bucks a mile, seven miles, no splices allowed! That line has never been tore up but the transformers on either end did blow out, especially after the last hurricane here. The problem there was that the replacement parts were in a warehouse for an electrical supply company in Ohio that had gone out of business ... the National Guard went and "appropriated" two of them and had them back to Texas within 3 days on huge semi-trailers. That's about as good as "preventative measures" get these days. It is always after the fact.

In any coastal environment, the electrical distribution system is always a continual problem, and I am sure the local crews get worked quite hard as Papa Nasty pointed out. The transmission lines are aluminum and the ties are steel or copper, which inadvertently causes bi-metallic corrosion. High humidity causes "air leakage" and sometimes you can hear the mainlines humming and buzzing because of the lost electricity. At least you don't have squirrels - I am serious here. One dumb ole squirrel touched the hot lead to the ground and blew up the transformer louder than a grenade, and shot that sucker right through my window as I was working away, at least what was left of him. Long story, but the crew replaced that transformer can and it blew up too, a bad ground in its windings they said. So I went out there to the crew with my blowed up squirrel tail and said "Mang, one of you missing something here?" Very funny, and no they would not accept a cold beer at 5:00. They had me up and running in another 20 minutes. :)

[JJ]

Starfish, if I may add some insights here. Most electric utilities only fix problems if the power is out for a customer, or many if a distribution transformer goes out. I don't know where y'all get this idea about preventative maintenance, since it is rarely ever done except for some tree trimming. It could be that you have some "dead lines" on the telephone poles, especially for old TV and telephone wires, and maybe disconnected electrical service, but no way do they leave hot wires out there. With 6,400 or 12,800 volts up there, no way you leave sparking wires dangling from an electrical pole. Never happen.

The usual response is to a pole down, a transformer that grounded and burst, a fusible link that is sparking, down lines, accidents like vehicles hitting telephone poles, and blown distribution transformers at the pole yard. Sometimes telephone poles catch on fire, such as when covered in wet salt spray or more typically, after a lightning strike. There is no preventative maintenance for any of these things, other than to keep lots of spare wire, parts, insulators, fuses, and transformers handy. At best, every 2 to 5 years the electrical company will inspect their telephone poles to see if they are rotten yet, and replace the bad ones. Few electrical companies are very religious about replacing old poles, though.

I am not trying to be confrontational in the least. And perhaps you had an interesting observation about the submarine electrical cables, which preferably should be triple insulated and buried two feet into the ground where possible - our submerged lines of two 64 KV (that's thousands of volts) to our island was a million bucks a mile, seven miles, no splices allowed! That line has never been tore up but the transformers on either end did blow out, especially after the last hurricane here. The problem there was that the replacement parts were in a warehouse for an electrical supply company in Ohio that had gone out of business ... the National Guard went and "appropriated" two of them and had them back to Texas within 3 days on huge semi-trailers. That's about as good as "preventative measures" get these days. It is always after the fact.

In any coastal environment, the electrical distribution system is always a continual problem, and I am sure the local crews get worked quite hard as Papa Nasty pointed out. The transmission lines are aluminum and the ties are steel or copper, which inadvertently causes bi-metallic corrosion. High humidity causes "air leakage" and sometimes you can hear the mainlines humming and buzzing because of the lost electricity. At least you don't have squirrels - I am serious here. One dumb ole squirrel touched the hot lead to the ground and blew up the transformer louder than a grenade, and shot that sucker right through my window as I was working away, at least what was left of him. Long story, but the crew replaced that transformer can and it blew up too, a bad ground in its windings they said. So I went out there to the crew with my blowed up squirrel tail and said "Mang, one of you missing something here?" Very funny, and no they would not accept a cold beer at 5:00. They had me up and running in another 20 minutes. :)

I have to disagree with you on this Sammy. I am more familiar with water and wastewater utilities but power companies also have preventative maintenance programs. Here is what my power company, Progress Energy has to say about their preventative maintenance program -- more than trimming a few tree limbs: http://progress-energy.com/custservice/flacig/resourcectr/PM.pdf

[AbacoPeach]

We had that happen to us a few months ago. It scared the bejeevers out of me! Sounded like a cannon going off!

Jerry, the consummate electrician, went out and checked it out and informed me that we had "squirrel fricassee" :rolleyes: and a blown primary fuse. Thank goodness EMC didn't have to replace the transformer!

[starfish]

SamFam,
Preventive Maintance I am talking about - the wires are hanging so low you and I can touch them (come to Guana and see for yourself). Fixing those HANGING wires is Preventive Maintance - It does not happen on Guana.

[Stone Malone]

Capt Plug posts an explanation and you guys have turned this into a "third thread of endless ranting"...........typical politics, goes nowhere, hopefully you all feel better for getting your feelings off your chest. I usually do.

[SamFamAustin]

I dunno, I simply mentioned that electrical distribution by the sea can be a very tough thing, and preventative maintenance while it sounds great usually is more of a reactive kind of thing. Funny, those AEP trucks were down here with their database software systems watching as transformers exploded and poles caught on fire. Great preventative maintenance system! Thanks to the local fire department for dousing the fires, nice touch. No rant here, every place within a quarter mile of the ocean has the exact same issues, although Florida gets more lightning strikes than about any other place I know in the world.

[trubahamian]

I dunno, I simply mentioned that electrical distribution by the sea can be a very tough thing, and preventative maintenance while it sounds great usually is more of a reactive kind of thing. Funny, those AEP trucks were down here with their database software systems watching as transformers exploded and poles caught on fire. Great preventative maintenance system! Thanks to the local fire department for dousing the fires, nice touch. No rant here, every place within a quarter mile of the ocean has the exact same issues, although Florida gets more lightning strikes than about any other place I know in the world.

There you go again talkin too much common sense Sammie. Transforners do not have wear intensive replacable parts to do PM on do they? I mean as far as I know they are sealed and wen they have run their race they are replaced.As I have traveled some country roads in America I have seen transformers that were very old with glass insulators carrying the wires,so I guess they can last a very long time if not abused by the elements or overloaded? Tru dat?

[papanasty]

Starfish I am going to find out exactly what has been done on Guana concerning upgrades??? I Know for a fact about 3 months ago i had to send all the spool trailers over on the Barge because Abacays was working that weekend along with BEC to run new transmission lines to the Outer Cays and had to have all the trailers because of the amount of transmission lines they were running.....

I tried to call William last night but could not get him because he would know what was done... I can't verify transformers because i never do any work on the Cay But Owen would know because he reps. for BEC over there and works with the Crew from BEC....

The bottom line is if you are not upgraded completely yet you will be because the new system that is being laid out for Abaco is going to be 13200KVA every were and in the near future they wil get around to you all...

BEC is doing all they can to get ready for the new plant no matter what you all say because i work closely with them and i ask QUESTIONS!!!!

Be patient they will get around to you in the near future if they already have not started....

As far as maintenance???? as Sammie said there really is nothing the crew can do concerning maintenance except trim some trees... To my knowledge Transformers either work or they don't... there are times when a transformer will start to act radically and you will have low voltage or high voltage and when customers NOTICE this and report it the crew will come out and check the transformer and if it is defective and cannot be adjusted they will put in a request for a replacement...

Most of the problems that accure are severed cables in the water....Ground lost on the pole due to corrosion....a leg lost on the pole due to corrosion....All of these are acts of nature or by boats and are of no fault of the installation of the equipment or the fault of BEC again **** happens!!!!

We also live in a area were squalls come out of no were and in those squalls are lightning and when poles or the plant gets hit by lightning thats a act of God and is no ones fault.....

The problems that can be controled by BEC are the loads or for better inadaquite power to supply the load and that is why we need to upgrade and need the new WILSON CITY POWER PLANT!!!!

I am confident when the new plant is completed and on line the majority of the problems we experiance now will greatly diminish...:):)

[papanasty]

To BCDAVIS I am not for the development on Joes Cay consisting of the proposal submitted!!!! Joes Cay is a very fragile and sensative area and i agree that they need to rethink there plan for the Cay!!!!

Joes Cay would be a ideal spot for a ECO type of development because of the diverse amount of Sea Life and birds and other animals that inhabit that particular portion of Elbow Cay!!!!

We can only hope that the owners will rethink the plans for the Cay and try to do some thing that could become a model for top of the line eco stewardship....

I may be ugly but i'm not stupid and any thing other than a Eco type of development would spell disaster for that portion of Elbow Cay....

All the best Papanasty :):):)

[trubahamian]

The fact that our power is constantly going on and off and at times with huge low or high voltage spikes,sometimes the lights glow and walls hum as we run to unplug the refridge! It is destroying our household appliances,costing us thousands of dollars a year.Yes I am concerned about the environment! No I can not continue to endure this financial burden of endlessly buying stuff that BEC destroys!

We don't have the luxury to sit back,point fingers and drag this on for years while we continue throw our money away.Part-timers or visitors owning or staying in homes with generators,whole house surge protectors and automatic switching is not something an average Bahamian has or can afford. Try living like a trubahamian when you are in Abaco and see wat I'm talking about.......So I am with Papanasty........build the plant ASAP.

[WandaT]

"Joes Cay is a very fragile and sensative area and i agree that they need to rethink there plan for the Cay!!!!"

????????????
and the area of Old Robinson Bight is not an eco sensitive area papa? Or the Pelican Seas Land and Sea Park, the "jewel" of the Bahamas?

"Joes Cay would be a ideal spot for a ECO type of development because of the diverse amount of Sea Life and birds and other animals that inhabit that particular portion of Elbow Cay!!!!"

?????????And the area of Old Robinson Bight having the most density of blue holes means nothing? Also being considered the most important breeding grounds for many of your food sources does not matter either? I guess the Bahamas and Abaco do not need to be known for their ecological stewardship.

"We can only hope that the owners will rethink the plans for the Cay and try to do some thing that could become a model for top of the line eco stewardship...."

??????????? Why not do the RIGHT thing and really look at what will happen to an area involved and plan for a project this big with a proper EIA and proper consultation of effected property owners BEFORE something like this takes place? Or is it TRU that you do not matter but your $$$$ always do?

[papanasty]

Plausibale Plausible Plausible With all do respect i am not and probably never will be convinced on any thing to do with the Enviornment when it is expressed by extremists that think so far to the left that no matter what would be done on Enviornmentaly Good stewardship it would not be Good enough to satisfy those that think that far to the left !! I care deeply about our enviornment to a POINT but some things just have to be done and it is a sacrafice that has been decided by our Elected Officials and is a decision i can live with...

Respectfully Papanasty :):):)

[DrRalph]

Easy, everyone gets very worked up over this issue, let's keep it civil.

[patw]

You da man! Finally decided to stop lurking and posted something! LOL!!:D

I wondered what all that red paint was under the lamp post. I don't remember that meeting. Guess we were off island for that one. I do see some supplies by the BEC station at the bottom of Sands Hill but it's been sitting there for months.
I think you're right, the only upgrade has been by BaTelco/BTC when the fiber optics were installed and the settlement got DSL internet.



Papanasty, I have lived on Guana Cay for several years and BEC has done NO upgrades whatsoever. The only upgrade has been a fiber optic cable that goes to Bakers. The underground cable that BEC has running from Marsh Harbour to Guana Cay has been cut 7 times by the Barges that go to Bakers (7times). All they do is splice them back together. The cable needs to be replaced and put underground from Marsh Harbour to Guana so this does not continue to happen (it does not take a rocket scientist to figure that out - BEC has not figured it out yet - hmmm). 2 years ago BEC and Batelco had a meeting up at the school and the whole island told them that the wires were hanging from plenty lamppost - we took them out in golfcarts after the meeting and showed them - the next day they came to Guana and spray-painted some red paint under the lamppost and NEVER returned to fix the wires (that was 2 years ago). Anybody can come to Guana Cay and still see the wires still hanging and still see the red spray-paint under the poles. You are welcomed to come to Guana Cay and see for yourself. BEC does no PREVENTIVE MAINTANCE whatsoever on Guana. Can't speak for the rest of the cays, but on Guana NO PREVENTIVE MAINTANCE.

[trubahamian]

"Joes Cay is a very fragile and sensative area and i agree that they need to rethink there plan for the Cay!!!!"

????????????
and the area of Old Robinson Bight is not an eco sensitive area papa? Or the Pelican Seas Land and Sea Park, the "jewel" of the Bahamas?

"Joes Cay would be a ideal spot for a ECO type of development because of the diverse amount of Sea Life and birds and other animals that inhabit that particular portion of Elbow Cay!!!!"

?????????And the area of Old Robinson Bight having the most density of blue holes means nothing? Also being considered the most important breeding grounds for many of your food sources does not matter either? I guess the Bahamas and Abaco do not need to be known for their ecological stewardship.

"We can only hope that the owners will rethink the plans for the Cay and try to do some thing that could become a model for top of the line eco stewardship...."

??????????? Why not do the RIGHT thing and really look at what will happen to an area involved and plan for a project this big with a proper EIA and proper consultation of effected property owners BEFORE something like this takes place? Or is it TRU that you do not matter but your $$$$ always do?


Man you is jokey ya know.Wat animals? Rats ,land crab,curly tails and snakes? We don't have many birds here compared to the rest of the world. I am not for putting any dense development on Joe's Cay but the Eco-park might be a good idea on your property. Tell us where it is so I can help out.:)

[papanasty]

Starfish you are right BEC has to my knowledge done nothing as far as the upgrade that is going to have to be done to Guana before the new plant comes on line ....My guess is that you will probably be the last ones to get upgraded because of possibly Bakers Bay...

I am assuming that when the new plant comes on line they are going to want the revenue that bakers bay will generate and it will be mandatory that they are tied to the grid....

The cables that were laid a couple months back went from Matlows Cay were there is now a new Substation to Man O war as i contacted William and he clarified that for me,my apoligizes....

Eventually you will have to be upgraded i assume because BEC is trying to supply all the Cays and Mainland in the future with the same type of Voltage to unify the whole system for ease in repairs....

Until recently Hopetown had 3 different voltage ranges depending on were you lived on the Cay it is now all 13200KVA....

Please it will come sooner or later and i assume it will be later..

Orchid Bay may already be upgraded as far as transformers since they are a fairly new development but please don't quote me on that..

Sorry for the misinformation and congratulations on the new Fiber Optics Cable that has been installed...I also do a lot of work for Batelco and Ms. Clark is a very dedicated and great person to work with All the best Papanasty :):):)

[BCDavid]

Papanasty,

Thanks for your explanation. I agree with you that development and power are needed and the environment has to be sacrificed in order for that development to occur. I also agree that high ecological value areas (like Joe’s Cay) should be saved (more compatible development or Park status) and less ecologically valuable areas are better to sacrifice. Where I am willing to agree to disagree with you is that I think an attempt should be made to save the few very high ecological value areas that are left.

Since the power plant can’t be scaled down or and made an eco destination (though it could and should be made cleaner no matter where it is located), it would make sense to identify a less ecologically valuable location for the power plant. After all, from what I understand, The Bight of Old Robinson (where the power plant is under construction) is the most ecologically valuable area on Abaco and Friends and the BNT want to make it a park for that reason. I also understand that you do not think there will be any spills and the air pollution will not kill the mangroves etc. but I respectfully disagree and highly recommend you go tour the Bight of Old Robinson by kayak and/or shallow draft boat to see for yourself how valuable it is. If anyone has ideas about a better location, please speak up! The Norman’s Castle location proposed by Abacocares might not be the only good option to consider.

I am still interested in your thoughts on how to get BEC to install (available) emissions controls and environmental safeguards since I agree with you that safeguards would be a big help and I would like to help you do that. At the September meeting, BEC said there would be no emissions controls or spill containment plans and equipment. Did you know that?

If BEC had done it right the first time, there would not be this ongoing discussion so BEC is where the blame should be placed for any delay in Abaco getting reliable power.