Activists call on CIG not to stop road EIA
(CNS): A consortium of local environmental activists issued a statement Monday urging the Cayman Islands Government to follow the lawful and scientific process before starting work on the East-West Arterial extension. The six non-profit organisations raised numerous concerns about proposals by PACT to stop the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for part of the road.
They said the new road must “undergo robust scrutiny” before it is built, especially given Cayman’s slow pace of adaption to climate change.
The controversial six-lane highway from Newlands to Frank Sound was the subject of a private member’s motion on Thursday that was adopted by the government after a debate in which many MPs said they wanted construction to begin immediately. The CIG has now agreed to consider waiving the EIA for the stretch of road between Hirst Road and Lookout Gardens.
Amplify Cayman, the Cayman Islands Mangrove Rangers, Cruise Port Referendum Cayman, Protecting Paradise, Plastic Free Cayman and Sustainable Cayman have joined forces to press government not to stop the EIA. The group pointed to the significant risks this entire stretch of road poses to the Central Mangrove Wetlands and the increased threat of flooding to existing homes along the route.
“This decision undermines the commitments of this government to rely on scientific integrity and public participation in the evaluation and development of major infrastructure projects,” the activists said, as they called for the government to stick to the robust process. “Our Island’s recent experience with the proposed cruise berthing facility highlighted locally the important information an EIA provides a community to help with informed and inclusive decision making.”
The activists said they are all keen to find solutions to the traffic chaos, but they said that if the EWA is started without a proper understanding of the hydrological dynamics of the area, a critical opportunity will be missed to design and construct a road that minimises threats to the wetlands and avoids the potential to cause flooding to communities along the corridor.
The activists also pointed out that the development of this phase of the highway will open up land for more development, increasing traffic even more.
“Without identifying proper mitigation options, there is a real concern that the general flow of water will carry contaminants, runoff, construction debris, oil, gas and other emissions… into the wetlands and the surrounding community as well as the North
Sound,” they said.
“Flash-flood events, as recently seen in Ft Lauderdale, pose a threat to life and property without proper modelling assessments. Presently, the southern wetland basin acts as a natural solution for stormwater drainage and filters the water that replenishes our nationally important water lens in Savannah.”
The local non-profits said that in the absence of a climate policy, Cayman’s adaptation to climate change is so far ineffective.
“The lack of formal adoption of policies is resulting in dangerously slow progress for climate change adaptation. Changes in the planning regulations provide opportunities for improving resilience to climate change, but these have yet to be realised, and we submit that building a six-lane highway through sensitive land areas contributes to the climate change problems we are trying to mitigate, especially when we have not fully assessed who is most at risk and how to prepare,” the activists warned.
Urging the government to continue with a full EIA in accordance with the legal directive issued under section 43 of the National Conservation Law, the non-profits said that without it, informed decisions could not be made.
This would fly in the face of Premier Wayne Panton’s commitment to do things properly and ensure that the road is constructed in full knowledge of all the consequences, including the socioeconomic and environmental impacts.
Shirley Roulstone, a founding member of Cruise Port Referendum Cayman who was instrumental in preventing the CIG from pressing ahead with the cruise berthing facility, said that she was sad and angry about the lack of any plan to fix all that is badly broken here.
“Sadly, it seems like many who are in charge and have the brains and will to make the changes are also in a bucket of crabs with others who are using all they have to gain more for themselves instead of working together to make a better Cayman for all of us [and] leaving generational Caymanians completely out. I did not vote for this,” Roulstone said.
See the full statement from the activists in the CNS Library.
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Category: development, Land Habitat, Local News, Science & Nature
When hurricane Ivan came from the SE and storm surges were 15 feet high. Hitting the barrier reef it dropped down to 9 feet and crossed all low lying areas. Those low lying areas were part of the Central Mangrove were they not? They showed where the water flows. We don’t need an EIA. We know for hundreds of years where the Central Mangrove flows, the North Sound. Every time it rains the water turns reddish in the North Sound. Any fishermen or divers would know that. You don’t need to pay millions of dollars to get a professional to figure out that one. We needed a EIA for South Sound? Well anyone living in South Sound going north through Crewe road through the airport could just look out their window and tell you where the sea was heading. This is what Hurricane Ivan showed us. If you weren’t here then don’t comment, you weren’t here.
When one talks about Rackley’s canal, you really don’t know how it was built. One man basically built it by himself. He mostly used a dragline.
Crosby Eden with Rex Creighton and Jim Bodden started and the company was sold to a family of watlers and one Miller. Prospect Park, Omega bay properties used dredge, dragline, bulldozers, dump trucks and had only ex seamen to figure out which way the water drained to. Guess where? The North Sound!! WE already know that project drains beautifully compared to Half way pond and Windsor Park. Please stop the misinformation, this is not as difficult as you environmentalists make it out to be.
Any kindergarten child could figure out that the centre of the island should be the centre of town, a new town.
Sometimes old dogs don’t know when to lie down.
Since you are the hydrology expert, how many natural flood areas have been disrupted since Hurricane Ivan?
How many areas are being flooded after rain that historically haven’t?
One more for the expert, you do understand that water always finds the lowest source?
Have a CaymanKind day!
Buzz off, 7:25 a.m. How long did you work on making up your crapola?
You wheeler-dealers make my arse want to spit tobacco juice!
The truth is, some people want to make more money for themselves and has very little to do with flooding, etc. Does anyone really believe all of the crap coming at us now? Some wheeler-dealers wanting to throw out the EIA so they can get more money on the deal.
Politician to us: ‘Just one more lane, guys. Trust me, it’s gonna work this time for real!’😉😉
*(this is sarcasm, in case you don’t have a detector for such things).
If no alternatives such as a Proper Public Transportation System or perhaps car pooling policies, maybe even staggered work times, if some or all of these are not implemented while the new highway is being considered/built, then the new roadways will only maintain the status quo of trying to keep up with the ever increasing car usage.
It won’t change a thing in the traffic congestion we have today, I’m betting it will exacerbate it.
One only has to take a look at the member for NS and his voting constituents to understand why Cayman is facing impending destruction.
Many of us up here know how this really works, and it’s not down to honest hard work, the support of an honest and morally supportive family, or the slightest hint of education.
8.58 Exactly what is wrong with North Side voters? Spell it out, don’t beat around the bush.
Funnily enough, the previous member for NS, who purports to be an environmentalist when it suits him, is also a proponent of this fiasco.
He always was, this goes back more than 10 years when handshakes were already being made in North Side for the land they wanted for the road.
The government really going through hoops to build a disastrous road through contentious land. Pushing so hard as to blatantly prevent the EIA from doing it’s legal requirements.
However, what they won’t do is actively push for a reliable form of public transporation and taxi services, investments in outer districts to promote business stretching outwards instead of situated in GT, promote working from home by investing in municipal broadband, promoting rewards for carpooling etc.
Nothing actually logical to fix the congestion problem that this country experiences, nope. Let’s add another road cause that certainly resolve the problem. It’s like critical thinking is completetly emptied of the CIG.
One of my favorite running routes is through the mangroves in North Sound Estates and then through the fields onto Woodlands Drive right across where this new road will go. The fields in rainy season are often flooded to waist height in areas and provide a buffer to stop flooding of all the streets off of Shamrock Road between Woodlands and the prison.
Whilst we obvs need to do something re the crap traffic situation, not sure laying more concrete is the answer. Look at that dump Bahia that’s being build down South South – the water used to run off into the mangroves where those awful box houses have popped up. The last time we had decent rain, South Church Street was flooded outside Bahia as the water has nowhere to go.
Panama and even Hawaii have a monorail type transport system built over the existing highways. I know it will cost a fortune for something like that, but has it been considered? Even the Isle of Man has a proper bus facility that works, none of these illegal ‘buses’ imported from Japan with high emissions and nobody has a clue where they stop or have a proper timetable.
I think the time has come in Cayman for the elected Government to
be allowed to govern instead of being ruled through the courts. These groups actions suggest that they are desirous or at least willing to get their way through the courts. No way do they even hint at human rights for the residents of the Eastern Districts. Its as if these (Eastern districts) residents are less deserving of a good quality of family life than these environmentalists. They pretend to care about the environment while contributing to its destruction by living on reclaimed lands with seawalls replacing mangroves etc.
To the activists..before you try to remove the speck of dust in your neighbours eye. be sure to remove the mud in yours..in other words try to put the environment right in your own backyard before trying to dictate to those in the Eastern Districts.You could start by replacing your seawalls with mangrove buffers.
Come on MPs do your job and get this road started. Pass new laws or amend existing ones so that MPs rather than lawyers/judges are governing.
Don’t worry, reclaimed land and sea walls coming to the Eastern Districts real soon including lots of new neighbours with ideas of their own that you won’t like either. Oh and if you didn’t get the memo you will still have to sit in traffic as the government lied to you.
….. human rights for the residents of the Eastern Districts…???????
Are you kidding? When everything is a Human Right, nothing is.
Rights to B*A*S*I*C food, roof under one’s head are the Human Rights. Nothing else. Period. Not ever SickCare and Education. One more thing- even primitive societies have an OBLIGATION to protect the most innocent and vulnerable- CHILDREN.
Advanced societies can offer more than basic food and housing. They can offer laws that are enforced, sickcare, eduction, security, clean environment, etc. etc..
We, the so called humans, have created so many problems for ourselves and many see solving or eliminating these problems as Human Rights.
Give me a break!
How about the Rights of the Western Districts not to be exposed to decaying hazardous trash from the Eastern Districts?
I think it’s high time we stop carrying on like idiots making ignorant presumptuous uneducated comments like yours. It’s embarrassing. Youd think youd never heard of cheques and balances, or haven’t realized that a large portion of what you call environmentalists are born and bred, generational caymanians that are sick and tired of our own loud mouthed xenophobic ignorant people selling out our future to buy land overseas. Poking holes in the god damn boat that the rest of us are sailing on. Do yourself a favor and go read the report. If not for yourself, do it for your grandchildren.
I think the time has come in Cayman for the elected Government to be allowed to govern instead of being ruled through the courts.
I agree with you. Who does the Chief Justice think he/she is to consider sending someone to prison for selling cocaine, especially when that person has the potential to become a Minister?
And why shouldn’t politicians be able to slap women without police taking up the case?
There are many other examples that I could give where the courts try to interfere with the things we elected our good people to do.
Have Cabinet appointed a new Board/Chairman yet?
Cayman’s Marl Road government showcasing its incompetence once again.
Why didn’t these groups come together to oppose the DART airport connector road??? Hypocrites!
Because that road at least makes sense! We are know that construction of anything beyond Hurley’s roundabout does not fix the problem that is Hurley’s roundabout
clearly you are someone who does not live in the eastern districts that are affected…
And that this road would in no way benefit.
The eastern district travellers will not benefit. They will be stuck for longer in longer traffic jams all the way to hurleys.
I am not the poster you respond to but I am from the East and have endured this traffic for almost 2 decades. The journey has gone from 30 mins to at least 1.5 to 2 hours one way. The EW extension might help some in the morning commute who get stuck from BT, but the traffic will all pile up more at Hurleys, worse still with new developments that will follow the road. Going home, most nights going home it frees up after Hurleys, other than the usual back ups approaching Fosters, but it’s nowhere near as bad as Hurleys bottleneck. Fixing this is key. See the difference, then we look at EW arterial again.
Clearly you have no understanding that Hurleys is a bottleneck and pushing more cars into the bottleneck will make the transit times even worse. Sheesh… explaining common sense to dead brain cells.
More road, more buildings, more cement, more traffic, more congestion. It will not solve any problem because the big plans to build out East. That’s why they need bigger roads that will all consist of more speed and more accidents and will bottleneck coming into town.
You make a lot of sense- wish there were more like you.
It was all you “Activists” who wanted and voted for this bunch of uneducated unemployables , so why are you crying and gnashing your teeth now.?
If CIG gives the go ahead for construction of the EWA I would suggest that the environmental coalition go to court and get a stay and let the courts decide if a EIA is really necessary before construction is allowed. This fire, ready, aim approach by a bunch of no nothing construction and environmental experts is truly amazing. 🤡🤡🤡
Referendum Please!
Agreed, another public holiday please
Please allow me to present…
..the rest of the story:
The article above must be read with this one that describes how PACT voted unanimously to start the project without doing the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) :
https://caymannewsservice.com/2023/04/pact-supports-bid-to-start-ewa-without-eia/
In that articles, it tells of how the Panton-PACTless Clown Car wants to play the “Not for me, but for thee” game and start a very major project without conducting the EIA. If a project of this magnitude was put forth by any private developer, the government would have them jumping through fiery hoops before getting permission to commence, including an EIA.
It also tells how Panton has lost the helm of the Clown Car that the cobbled together with BS and chewing gum so he could assume power as Premiere. It tells of his current impotence to control his circus as the Panton’s Big Top Circus is currently all clowns, no ringmaster.
Panton is no longer Premiere, he is a puppet. A puppet to his cabinet and a puppet to his own lust for the illusion of power that comes with the title “Premiere”. I say illusion because, clearly, Panton no longer steers his Clown Car. Panton is a limp and powerless puppet.
Here is the damning portion of that news story: “Although the premier accepted the motion, it was evident he was not in support of its basic premise.” Panton is so impotent that he voted for a measure that he did not even agree with! THAT is the epitome of worthlessness, coming from a man who duped people into voting for him by claiming–among other lies–to be a champion of the environment. Panton has now, beyond any reasonable doubt, proven himself to be nothing more that a power-hungry-but powerless, conniving and deceitful shill.
did he ever have the helm of his govt ever?
It is a waste of time. Remember these people are ‘the highest in the land’ according to a certain minister and none of his colleagues have even bothered to correct him publicly.
Parliament does run the show.
For who?
Money runs Parliament. Check Mate.
So stop importation of cars older than 7 years. Now the only person this hurts is the poor man and the young person just leaving school. For the money spent on the road extension to the east, people we will be paying for this through increased taxes and at the same time, destroying our environment. When you Mr. Panton and your muppets destroy our water lenses and stingray city, you will go down in history as the most destructive politician to our environment whilst being the leader of sustainability. I gasp at the irony of this.
It seems no one locally can stop this disaster in making therefore I am begging King Charles to intervene this is for the next generations. Our island is no good if we cannot live in a clean safe environment!
The question you need to ask of these politicians is WHY- negatives outweigh the positives 👀
Isn’t the wetland area where the road construction site is located an area that would be submerged if sea level rises 1m? Considering the impact of flooding due to storm surges and heavy rain, wouldn’t at least 2 meters of fill be necessary?
To begin with, even a 1 meter rise in sea level would make most of Grand Cayman susceptible to storm surge, tsunami, and flooding from heavy rainfall, making the island unsuitable for human habitation. Even if people were able to continue to live on the island, they would not be able to obtain homeowners insurance, would have difficulty even obtaining mortgages, and would incur enormous costs to restore flood damage and maintain facilities.
Realistically, it would probably be necessary to move the capital to the higher elevation of Cayman Brac during the 22nd century and implement the migration of Grand Cayman Islanders. As for foreign immigration, it is necessary to first regulate immigration to Grand Cayman, and then to guide immigration to Cayman Brac through policy. Therefore, it is necessary to gradually shift development funds from Grand Cayman to Cayman Brac. It is inefficient to invest huge sums of money in facilities that will be unusable in a few decades.
The road will be elevated on pilings (think low level bridges) where needed. See the NRA plans for details.
No it won’t.
Care to link to the plans so we can see them?
You can attend a public meeting and speak with the engineers and peruse the various photos of such roads built in similar areas overseas like I did. Or you can use any search engine yourself. Try Google, Bing, Yahoo – those usually work well for me.
Link please.
If the NRA ever tried to build a road on elevated pilings, the first section would need to be replaced before the last section was started, so there would never be a road.
Those sections will be contracted out to firms with the relevant experience.
Lol
Common sense to the rescue.
When will these muppets ever get the message? You can build all the roads you want to ‘ease congestion’ but until you fix the bottleneck at Hurleys, it won’t make a blind bit of difference. But it’s not about roads, it’s about opening land for their benefactors and friends and families.
@12.59 Wrong. It is about roads. The objectors have roads (Esterly Tibbetts, West Bay Rd,South Sound Rd, Linford Pierson etc) and are now objecting to Eastern District residents getting theirs.
I don’t know who started this stupid statement but it’s as if people think that if they say it enough it will make sense. It doesn’t
Funny how the government conveniently wanted the people to trust the science of the covid vaccine, but in another breath ignores science when it comes to our environment.
PACT MPs are all conflicted. They want the road as they will benefit from the development that will happen. This should be looked into.
Someone should pull public records of owners of all land parcels along the proposed route to see who stands to benefit the most from this road
its Hirst Road if you please
CNS: Sorry! Typo.
The motion passed in the house was nothing but a power move to show Wayne who is really in charge! It was politics at its worst and was designed to undermine the Premiers sustainability platform. Sadly he failed the test, he should have stuck to his position and not wilted like a plucked hibiscus when his Premiership was threatened by Kenneth Bryan. Wayne is weak and is in it for the prestige and power. He will sell us out time after time for self preservation. From #sheissupported to the Highway to hell! Wayne is an utter failure, a weakling and a sellout. I hope the voters in Newlands are paying attention. Like him or not Mr Suckoo took a position and made it clear where he stood and never backed down! It may have lost him his seat but at least I can respect him for his steadfast approach. We need representation that isn’t there for self preservation and is there to make a difference. Sadly Wayne cannot give us that!
Wayne has proven to be the biggest disappointment of them all. Grasping on to power by any means necessary, this last week in the House showed us who is really in charge.
She has clearly not been supported, power by any means necessary and holding on to it at all costs, sustainability agenda means nothing in practice and this country is falling apart. Meanwhile, Marl Road continues to be the bullying mouthpiece that sends henchmen to strongarm decisions – like who makes up the government (see protests outside Isaac Rankine’s home and Sabrina’s public meeting; “coverage” following Chris’ resignation/firing).
Wayne, I hope you are proud of yourself. What a tangled web you weave.
What an over-hyped and predictable overreaction. It is just a road, not opening up a shipping channel through the middle of the island.
At some point a decision has to be made, and not another study to determine if we need a study about a study.
Sad when the environment has no voice. Why not a referendum? Why to request businesses to allow work from home? Give incentives to the businesses that do so. Where is the sustainability leader?
I have no faith in the Cayman electorate to make common-sense decisions. I laugh at all the requests for referendums (logical if the electorate is literate, informed and not bribed). These are the same voters who repeatedly elect criminals, misogynists, under-educated and immoral officials.
Oh boy, we sure do have a lot of roads scholars around here.
Oh goody yes please deliver us from the roads authority
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory.
Probably because all we do is sit looking at it stuck in gridlock day after agonising day.
In any other country, people protest when government makes a decision they do not support. When are we going to start protesting? When our three islands are gone?
Your protest can start whenever you want to. Get a sign and get it started. If you don’t want to start it then stop winging.
You have answered your own question… The Cayman electorate is worthless. They don’t care, they won’t exert influence, they are ill-equipped to understand the ramifications of their vote. Just look at who they elect.
Agreed. See comments at https://caymannewsservice.com/2023/03/premier-admits-widening-of-caymans-economic-success-gap/#comment-587383
“Cayman is presently incapable of self-government. Expats should be allow to both vote and stand for election. Four examples of incompetence/corruption demonstrating this fact…”
Expats will never be allowed to vote or stand for election end of story.
Stop blaming the Cayman Electorate for everything. We are the most educated, most informed, most morally tempered group of voters the world has ever witnessed. We continually elect the best, the brightest, the most experienced, the highest of ethical character with no blemishes on their esteemed history of service to the public. We are proud Caymanian voters. (A very cynical tongue-in-cheek response – but sadly truthful).
PACT has shown their true colors now. Make everyone believe you are so called “independents’ all the while meeting in back alleys as a group that would come together after the election. The power hungry Sustainability Minister who knew you would stoop so low for power. You had many fooled until now when we can see PACT for what they really are. Dear Shirley – you were campaigning for so called independents – be careful what you wish for – fool me once – but not twice!
The Premier has always behaved and spoken true to his character but these wolves in sheep’s clothing are ready to pounce at every turn as was clear with this debate. So agreed, these dangerous newbies and washed up opposition need to be shown the door at the next election and the people have the power.
Agree on everything but premier’s character. He is the worst for continuously subjecting us to this sham of a government in his quest to retain premiership. If he truly cared about the people, he would be honest that this PACT has not worked at all.
Unfortunately the view that Wayne is a man of principle surrounded by lesser men doesn’t explain how he supported Bush, or why he would vote for a motion he doesn’t even believe in. A man of principle would challenge his ministers to follow policy, even if he felt he may be removed as premier as a consequence.