20K Signatures Against Waterloo Project Handed Over to Government

On Wednesday, a sheaf of documents purportedly containing as many as twenty thousand signatures were presented to the Minister of Sustainable Development, following a countrywide petition to garner enough support from residents who are against the Waterloo development. The signed demand for action was presented by Thomas Greenwood, along with several other persons who are active in cruise tourism in the country. Minister Orlando Habet explained that a meeting was called during which there was a handing over of the documents which he has been tasked with delivering to Prime Minister Briceño on Tuesday.

On the phone: Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development

“Really, the group had requested that I participate in this meeting where they would have handed over to the deputy prime minister in the absence of the prime minister, the twenty thousand, plus, signatures and that they requested for me to be present as a witness.  I went to the meeting and I participated, listened to them and their presentations and then somewhere towards the end, Mr. Greenwood handed me officially the documents so that I would be able to bring it back to Cabinet on Tuesday when Cabinet meets.  My position is that the E.I.A. regulations require that one of the conditions for the E.I.A. report or submission to be considered and as a part of the report going to NEAC is that there has to be some consultation. And so, in the consultation you get the public and interested parties and all stakeholders and if you want to consider these petitions as stakeholders voicing their opinions then you will take it to Cabinet and then Cabinet makes a decision and take it to the Department of Environment for them to consider as part of the consultation, and so when a decision is being made that these things are taken into consideration.”