MARSH HARBOUR, Abaco -- The Bahamas Electricity Corporation power plant under construction in Wilson City, Abaco, is being built using best international practices, and is being monitored by government agencies, Minister of State for Utilities the Hon. Phenton Neymour assured Abaco residents on Thursday, September 10.

Mr. Neymour was addressing over 800 Abaco residents at a town meeting at the New Vision Ministries Church in Marsh Harbour. The meeting was held to provide residents with a forum to address their concerns over the construction of the new BEC power plant in Wilson City.

The three main issues related primarily to air pollution, use of heavy fuel oil (Bunker-C) as the energy source for the plant and the potential impact on water resources.

Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Hubert A. Ingraham, the Hon. Earl Deveaux, Minister of the Environment; Mr. Fred Mitchell, MP for Fox Hill; and Mr. Obie Wilchcombe, MP for Bimini and West End, Grand Bahama, attended the meeting.

?As we all know, no development, no infrastructure, no act of man, is without an environmental impact. The responsibility of the Government and every citizen is to mitigate or minimize the adverse impacts that progress and development naturally make,? said Mr. Neymour.

?In the case of Abaco, no one can deny the need and urgency for an expanded and more reliable electrical supply. The age and capacity of the plant is insufficient and it is inefficient to continue adding load incrementally thereby increasing costs,? Mr. Neymour added.


He said the main question is how to meet the required timelines and to mitigate the possible adverse environmental impacts.

?The plant that BEC is building, I am advised, will be the most modern in the Family Islands. The best international practices have been encouraged in the selection and construction of this type of facility,? Mr. Neymour said.

He said that all international standards are being adhered to, and environmental issues are being monitored by several agencies, including the Water and Sewerage Corporation, and the Bahamas Environment, Science and Technology (BEST) Commission.

Minister Deveaux said that Bahamians can also play a role in assisting BEC.

?BEC as a utility has an obligation to satisfy the demands of energy and power to businesses and households. In doing so, BEC has to look at the larger picture. BEC can?t, at this stage, incrementally accommodate renewable energy sources in its energy mix,? Minister Deveaux said.

Individuals, he said, have the ability to impact their energy load and BEC significantly.

?You can make simple household level decisions and business decisions that have a far-reaching impact on your energy load. If you change your water heater to solar, convert your light-bulbs to CFL or LED bulbs, paint your roof white and purchase energy-efficient devices, you can have a 20-30 percent impact on your energy load and have a ripple effect on BEC, which would then freeze up money to invest in other technologies. And that is something I would ask you to do,? Mr. Deveaux said.

BEC General Manager Kevin Basden said the present power station is not capable of meeting the projected needs of Abaco and falls short of providing the service presently required.

?To do noting is not an option and growth on the island ? the mainland and the keys ? continues,? he said.

BEC Chairman Mr. Fred Gottlieb also said the current plant is obsolete, and has machinery that is, in some cases, over 30 years old.

?The capacity is barely sufficient to meet peak demand ? the present capacity is 27 megawatts and the peak demand is in the vicinity of 24 megawatts,? said Mr. Gottlieb.

Mr. Neymour said that Wilson City was selected as the most suitable after careful consideration.

?Alternative sites were also considered including Snake Cay, Marsh Harbour and Wilson City, but after review found that the most suitable site was Wilson City,? Mr. Neymour said.

He said BEC has indicated that it consulted with Friends of the Environment, Chamber of Commerce, and the Antiquities and Monuments Corporation, and that neither group expressed significant objection at the time.

?The BEST Commission and the Water and Sewerage Corporation were also consulted as to the possible impacts and their mitigation,? Mr. Neymour said.

The new plant will consists of four, new state-of-the-art 12-megawatt diesel engines, which can run on both diesel and Bunker-C fuel.

?I will not discuss the obvious cost benefits except to say that estimates indicate that the operational cost of the new plant would increase by $3.5 - $7 million annually if it is not used. Coupled with the facts, and I emphasize facts, about Bunker C, this additional cost is not economically feasible as BEC reportedly is experiencing losses in Abaco of $7 ? $8 million annually,? Mr. Neymour said.

Mr. Neymour said that the facts about Bunker C (HFO) include its use worldwide, including the Caribbean, Europe, Central and South America, Near, Middle, and Far-East.

?HFO is a residual fuel similar to RC-250 that is used to construct our Family Island roads. It is considered by some as no more of a health risk than gasoline and diesel when it comes to short-term exposure. As with any petroleum fuel, prolonged contact is not desirable,? he said.

Mr. Neymour also made referred to a letter recently published in the press from a local doctor who was extremely critical of the use of Bunker C fuel oil and its potential carcinogenic effects.

Mr. Neymour quoted from a report from the Environmental Monitoring and Risk Assessment Division of the Department of Environmental Health Services on the potential carcinogenic effects of Bunker C.

The report stated: ?There is no reason the public at large should come into contact with Bunker C fuel, particularly not on a sustained basis to induce carcinogenic effects??? While it has been stated that carcinogenic effects have been observed in test animals exposed to some components of Bunker C, it should be noted that these results cannot be extrapolated to humans at the levels, beyond what the average human would experience even at occupational exposures.?

Concerns were also raised regarding the transshipment of fuel. Mr. Neymour also addressed concerns of residents regarding the transshipment of fuel.

?The three major oil companies ship millions of gallons of fuel throughout The Bahamas daily with an impeccable record. Part of the site selection process was to ensure that the risk assessment standards were met for the transshipment of fuel. The safest possible route was selected,? Mr. Neymour said.

He added that other quality control and assurance steps being taken include X-Ray inspection of all pipeline welds and pressure testing, along with operational steps such as the flushing, metering and emptying of the pipeline after each tanker discharges.

Mr. Neymour said the government?s has not dismissed the idea of pursuing alternative energy resources.

He said that steps are currently being taken to implement a national energy policy, which will allow Bahamians to tap into other forms of energy sources.

?This new electrical facility does not hinder Abaco from pursuing other renewable technologies,? Mr. Neymour said.

The panelists included Mr. Deveaux, Mr. Neymour, Mr. Gottlieb, Mr. Basden, Mr. Jerome Elliott, Assistant General Manager, Engineering, BEC; Stephan May, Senior Vice-President, MAN Diesel Engineering; Mr. Philip Weech, Director, BEST Commission; a Representative of Kalimantan Environmental Services, Inc., and Mr. Pericles Maillis, attorney and conservationist.

Photo 1: The Bahamas Electricity Corporation held a town meeting with over 800 Abaco residents at a town meeting at the New Vision Ministries Church in Marsh Harbour to discuss the power plant under construction in Wilson City, Abaco. Government ministers and other senior officials attended the meeting. Pictured from left: the Hon. Earl Deveaux Minister of the Environment; the Hon. Phenton Neymour Minister of State Responsible for Utilities, Fred Gottlieb, Chairman, BEC and Kevin Basden, General Manager, BEC. (BIS photo/Letisha Henderson)

Photo 2: Fred Gottlieb Chairman BEC, addressed residents of Abaco during a town meeting on the concerns of the new power plant being constructed in Wilson City. (BIS photo/Letisha Henderson)

Photo 3: Hundreds of Abaco residents packed the New Visions Ministries Hall in Marsh Harbour to attend a town meeting where they voiced their concerns on the new power plant, which is under construction in Wilson City. (BIS photo/Letisha Henderson)

Photo 4: Government ministers, senior officials and stakeholders toured the new Wilson City Power Plant in Abaco on Thursday. (BIS Photo/Letisha Henderson)

Photo 5: General contractor, MAN Diesel engineering firm, Carlos Escobar Bruno explains to Minister of State for Public Utilities, the Hon. Phenton Neymour what is happening at the site of the Wilson City Power Plant being constructed in Abaco. (BIS Photo/Letisha Henderson).

Photo 6: General Contractor, MAN Diesel engineering firm, Carlos Escobar Bruno leads officials and the media on a tour of the new Wilson City Power Plant in Abaco. (BIS Photo/Letisha Henderson).