Environment Group Against Geothermal Contract in Dominica

Text of report by Caribbean Media Corporation news agency website

DOMINICA-DEVELOPMENT-Environment group against geothermal contract ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – The environmental group, Waitukubuli Ecological Foundation (WEF), Monday criticised the decision by the Dominica government to grant a license to a St Kitts- Nevis based company to conduct geothermal exploration on the island. The Roosevelt Skerrit administration last week signed the accord with the West Indies Power Company (WIPCO) and according to the company’s chairman, Gregory Degannes the island stands to benefit significantly from the accord. “I want to assure everyone that we will mobilize all the resources available to us so that we can expeditiously commission a geothermal plant here even quicker than we have done in Nevis,” said Degannes. But former WEF president, Bernard Wiltshire said that the agreement had been signed without adherence to the local laws. “We have a law that requires a tendering process and nothing like that was done,” said Wiltshire, a former attorney general. “You cannot make secret agreements on behalf of people and the people on whose behalf you are making the agreement does not know what is in the agreement. “That is an impertinent way to proceed; it is rude, undemocratic, secretive and insultive,” the former WEF president said. Prominent businessman Busin Washway Douglas said he was also against the move by the government to place the island’s valuable geothermal resources in the hands of foreigners. Douglas has unsuccessfully submitted a proposal on behalf of his company, Clean Energy Corporation, that it be given the contract to carry out the exploration work. “It’s about time that we begin to use our natural resources to benefit our people we should not continue giving it away like that. I think that is nonsense we should be leading that move towards renewable energy. “We are giving away our natural resource and if we do not call for that thing to be reversed we will still be begging 30years from now,” he added

Originally published by Caribbean Media Corporation news agency website, Bridgetown, in English 1740 4 Aug 08.

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