LETS CRAK ON12 Dec 2020 22:14
The environmental groups that have filed legal action against the government over its decision to give Bahamas Petroleum Company the green light to conduct exploratory oil drilling near Cay Sal Bank later this month have no real concern for the judicial process, but simply want to disrupt and stop BPC’s lawful activity, the company’s CEO Simon Potter said yesterday.
Waterkeeper Bahamas Ltd. and Coalition to Protect Clifton Bay have named the environment minister, the director of environmental protection and planning and the attorney general as respondents in the action seeking an injunction to stop the exercise from proceeding and a judicial review of the government’s authorization for the project to go ahead.
BPC announced yesterday that it intends to apply to the court to be heard “as a person affected and to oppose the application”.
Attorney General Carl Bethel also confirmed to Guardian Business yesterday that the government plans to oppose the application for judicial review, and said that process is currently underway.
BPC said in a statement that it believes the environmentalists’ case is without “legal basis or merit”.
“The application has been brought by a number of environmental activists,” BPC said.
“The applicants are also seeking a stay of the environmental authorization pending the outcome of any judicial review, an extension of time to make their application, and have raised a number of other legal arguments in support of their claims.
“The respondent to the application is the government of The Bahamas. The applicants have specifically sought to exclude BPC from being heard in relation to this matter.”
BPC added, “Given that BPC’s drilling operations are scheduled to commence before the end of 2020 (and indeed, considerable work has already commenced for those operations), BPC anticipates that the application for a stay will be determined definitively by the court on an expedited basis, prior to drilling operations commencing.
“BPC believes the application to be without legal basis or merit and considers that there should be no legal impediment to proceeding with the drilling of the Perseverance #1 well.”
Last week, Potter carried out a public relations blitz through Bahamian media in an attempt to counter arguments against the drilling process posed by the environmental groups.
He said in yesterday’s statement that the environmentalists’ judicial review filing at the eleventh hour — as BPC is only days away from beginning its drilling process — speaks to their want to completely stop the process of oil exploration in The Bahamas.
“[Tuesday’s] application for a judicial review, an extension of time and a stay, from a group of environmental activists, is entirely without merit,” Potter said.
“BPC will vigorously oppose the application, and we understand that the government of The Bahamas will be doing likewise.
“BPC’s drilling plans have been public knowledge for almost a decade, and the go
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