Quarry posing threat to wildlife pond will need EIA
(CNS): The National Conservation Council has confirmed that an environmental impact assessment will be required for a quarry application made by Krock Limited because it poses a threat to the protected area of Meagre Bay Pond in Bodden Town. Department of Environment (DoE) Director Gina Ebanks-Petrie said that a much better understanding of the terrestrial ecology and hydrology is needed before another quarry is approved at this site as there are significant concerns about the negative impact of existing quarries.
Explaining to members at the NCC’s final meeting for 2022 on Wednesday, she said the Central Planning Authority had not taken on previous directives issued in relation to the negatives impacts on the pond from quarries, but the changes to the natural water cycles and the die-off of mangroves around the pond appear to be caused by the active quarries.
The NCC has confirmed the need for an EIA for only a handful of planning applications because in many cases the DoE already has the necessary information to make its recommendations for proposed projects. However, in this case, given the existing concerns, an assessment will be needed to determine all of the issues that this application raises.
Ebanks-Petrie said that the proposed site of the new quarry would be in the direct line where the pond naturally drains into the North Sound when it overflows. This would prevent the pond from going through the natural water cycles, threatening the broader habitat and wildlife and the production of food that attracts the birds that the pond is famous for.
“Without really understanding the hydrological regime in greater detail it would not be possible… to recommend any mitigating measures,” she said, adding dust, noise and vibration are also cause for concern, not just for the flora and fauna but also for the increasing residents in the area. She said the DoE believes the proposed quarry needs to be the subject of an EIA to allow the necessary investigations.
“We just feel there needs to be a much better understanding of the hydrology in the area before anybody contemplates approving another quarry at this location,” she said.
Outlining the screening opinion, Ebanks-Petrie pointed out that Meagre Bay Pond is one of Cayman’s oldest protected areas. The pond and a 300 ft wide band of mangroves around its margin were originally protected as an Animal Sanctuary in 1976.
A Protected Area Management Plan was finally adopted by Cabinet in February of this year. The goals of that plan include a separation between the waters of the protected area and adjacent submerged quarries to preserve the pond’s ability to overflow and discharge after extreme rains and facilitate the natural regeneration of the Black Mangrove forest and other wetland communities around it. It also aims to recover the historical seasonal patterns of diversity and abundance of bird life and other native species in the area.
It has already been noted that quarrying is a severe threat to the biodiversity in Meagre Bay Pond and is degrading the protected area. This application is for a site located just 500 feet northwest of the protected area and poses a direct threat to the water quality as well as the drainage.
But the DoE technical experts pointed out in the screening opinion that the solution to these problems is not straightforward. A proposed berm (a raised bank) around the quarry would add to the drainage challenges as it would be in the path of the natural water flow.
“If this area was to become a quarry and the quarry was to be surrounded by a berm, it may cause a significant adverse effect,” they warned. “Given the lack of any environmental consideration or mitigation measures presented in the Applicant’s plan, it is highly likely that the introduction of a new quarry may result in new significant adverse effects and may amplify existing risks.”
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Category: development, Land Habitat, Local News, Science & Nature
The law of the land “Hoo U No”.
Who owns Krock? Because that is going to be way more important than an EIA
The quarry pond network is looking more and more like the future all weather inland harbour. Only thing left to do is dig a ship channel. And turn on the Breakers Lighthouse!
When these quarries are longer required and all the fill is taken what happens to the old lakes. Is there a bond or retainer helded by government until the quarries are made safe, remediated, or earmarked for another use? Rather than left as as a stinking, stagnant rotting lake.
The fact is CPA has allowed existing Quarries to dig beyond the fresh water lens and these quarries are now saturated in salt water which has killed off any fresh water algae, snails, fish that birds will eat. During the rainy seasons the salt water lakes overflows to the nearby ponds contaminating the fresh water with salt killing everything that is considered fresh.
Here’s a point for the CPA to ponder, what happens to all the underwater fresh water caverns are contaminated with salt? It is pointless to place animals on the protected list when you are killing off their food. I don’t need a $2m assessment to understand the damages these quarries will be doing in the long term.
Don’t quarry, be happy.
I sang it. Note by note.
The cost of fill is directly related to the number of quarries. If new quarries are not opened, then the cost of fill will rise and thus the cost of buildable land. If you want to make housing less affordable, reducing the supply of aggregate is a great way to do it.
That will never happened in Cayman Bo Bo.
I agree with the DoE on the need (benefit) of an EIA here. For a small island we do already have a significant number of quarries in and around the Meagre Bay Pond.
Many quarry’s are digging well below MSL, because once you go far enough past the limit, the law/enforcement is silent about decommissioning. It rewards the least responsible participants in the construction industry, destabilizing the cavern-pocked limestone bedrock for neighboring structures, violating water table, and reducing contaminant filtration back into the ocean.
Unfortunately, grossly so, CPA will not listen to DoE or any voice of reason.
Developers’ greed will prevail!! We’ve sold out long ago!!!
EIA required as it should be. BTW Krock is most likely another Dart shell company, they have their “embedded” consultants who prefer working down here this time of year. So I expect this to cut through the red tape like a knife through butter.
You are wrong.
It is not Krock..It is KRock as in K Rock..notice the R is capitalized..It belongs to one of the regular Cayman quarry millionaires…
Leave Wildlife Unspoiled!
Just some old swamp anyway, we need the new developments for revenue and jobs.
Troll…Don’t get sucked in folks.
Not any troll but a person who must work for a living and needs these development jobs. Unlike you cry babies who are in cushy finance jobs. Quit your whining! Keep up the great work CPA
Cushy finance jobs that is paid to purchase your fill that keeps you employed. Think before you write Bobo, it’s simple economics…smh!!
CPA will push this one thru as we desperately need the fill for all the new developments.
Not sure about this need. I thought they recently refused an application by an expat owner on the grounds that there was sufficient fill in existing approved quarries to meet the demand for the next 20 years as per the Aggregate Policy, as approved by Cabinet. Or was it refused because the owner was not part of the BT Quarry Cartel?
As a Caymanian, I’m glad that there IS actually an industry that is locally owned.
There are too many “crab in a bucket” mentality Caymanians. They’d rather an expat come here and make a fortune in Cayman then leave with it, than see a Caymanian achieve success no matter how hard they worked for it
Correct.
Yup. This is why the Ministry of Planning has a committee to assess exactly that need, to make sure there is enough quarry material ‘on tap’ to keep development chugging along. Look forward to reading their report of the need for this new quarry. (Obviously it would be an important consideration of any EIA.)