The group Cruise Port Referendum Cayman issues a statement on the Port Geotechnical Studies Coastal Works Application.  CPR says the EAB expressed significant concern about the validity of its assumption in the absence of results from the geo-technical studies which could significantly impact the anticipated costs of construction and environmental impacts of the project.

CPR says its main concern  is the Government have still not publicly released the design of the Option 2 pier they accepted showing numerical data to quantify the direct impact of the footprint including dredge area, concrete area and location relative to the surrounding marine ecosystems of coral reefs, hard pan & sandy bottom habitat, and historic ship wrecks.  They want to know whether public will have the benefit of the geotechnical study results when they go to polls in the referendum?  The group says the results of the geo-technical studies may significantly affect the cost of construction and that results will also inform the methodology of construction and whether or not blasting will be required in the harbor.

In conclusion, the cruise port referendum says says it is imperative that the Caymanian people have the opportunity to make a fully informed decision in the referendum on the Government’s proposed cruise berthing facility, and crucial information is still not in the public domain including the revised cruise berthing and cargo port design, the updated environmental impact assessment of revised design, the final business case report and full details of the proposed financing arrangements with Verdant Isle Port Partners

EAB Report: http://doe.ky/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/EAB-Review-Aug-2015.pdf