“The Bahamas deserves a full assessment of whether or not this project is a good deal for its people”
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Opponents of Disney’s Lighthouse Point development maintain that the company’s environmental impact assessment (EIA) has “major deficiencies”, stating that this nation deserves a full assessment of whether or not the project is a good deal for the Bahamian people.
The Stop Disney – Last Chance for Lighthouse Point Campaign — which consists of reEarth, the Bahamas Reef Environmental Educational Foundation (BREEF), Save the Bays, Waterkeeper Bahamas, Waterkeeper Alliance and Friends of the Earth US — has submitted is own review of Disney’s 551-page EIA for its proposed cruise ship port at Lighthouse Point on Eleuthera in The Bahamas.
Disney released an extensive 550-plus-page EIA in early March and in April participated in a public meeting via Zoom to address the report. That meeting, which was hosted by the Bahamas Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP), was attended by more than 300 people.
Local environmental groups argued, however, that the government was rushing the review of the EIA and contended that the public consultation held via Zoom was “a Disney show” that provided too little time and no opportunity for discussion of the adequacy of Disney’s assessment.
Lighthouse Point opponents, in their 58page response to Disney’s EIA, stated: “As a nation facing some of the most severe consequences from both climate change and the collapse of tourism due to COVID-19, The Bahamas deserves a full assessment of whether or not this project is a good deal for its people.”
Pointing to what they claim are major deficiencies in Disney’s EIA, environmental groups assert the EIA relies on a still-undisclosed economic study completed before COVID “to make unsubstantiated claims about the economic benefits of the project for the people of Eleuthera and The Bahamas”.
“Their EIA needs to include data and analyses to show that this is a really ‘good deal’ for all the stakeholders,” the Lighthouse Point development opponents assert.
They further noted that the EIA does not address the social, economic and environmental justice impacts of the proposed project and ignores climate change impacts and climate risk.
“It does not contain the necessary studies to outline the project’s contributions to climate change,” opponents asserted.
“It also does not contain the necessary studies to address risks to the project from sea level rise, storm surges and increased coastal flooding associated with climate change.”
They further noted that the EIA does not address the threat of COVID-19 or future pandemics.
“This is essential, especially considering the limited infrastructure and lack of a hospital on Eleuthera,” environmentalists have argued.
“The EIA does not meaningfully consider alternatives, which is an explicit requirement in the Bahamian 2020 EIA Regulations.
“Disney continues to suggest that the only alternative was a much denser condo-marina project that was proposed for Lighthouse Point more than a decade ago. Disney does not mention that the project was opposed and failed.
“It does not consider the land-based sustainable alternative proposed by local groups.”
The environmental groups further argue that the EIA addresses the environmental impacts of the construction phase of the project, but provides little to no analysis of the long-term impacts of operation and up to one million visitors a year.
They further contend that Disney needs to release the Oxford Economics Study so stakeholders can fully assess the validity of the economic benefits Disney has promised.
It was also noted that the EIA currently does not include information on expected increases in gross national income (GNI).
“The EIA only reports increases in gross domestic product (GDP), which is essentially a useless measure,” opponents stated.
“A significant, if not overwhelming, portion of this money could be going into the pockets of outsourced vendors from Florida or other nearby Disney associates, instead of into the pockets of Bahamians.
“Disney’s EIA must consider studies to examine how development of the port will impact the likelihood of stayover tourists, who are known to contribute more to the economy of The Bahamas, visiting the site and contributing to local businesses along the way.
“It must also outline project costs to local businesses. The EIA must weigh the economic benefits of the cruise ship port against the benefits that the Lighthouse Point area would provide to The Bahamas as a marine protected area.”
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