Leaders of the Coalition to Keep BT Dump Free announced on Friday (16) they have cancelled a meeting scheduled for that evening with Dart executives.

The surprising decision was done at the last minute because they claim the proposed “Bodden Town Dump” is now illegal after the passing in the Legislative Assembly of the Public Management and Finance bill, which transposed into law the Framework for Fiscal Responsibility (FFR).

The full Press Release from the Coalition to Keep BT Dump Free follows in its entirety:

Coalition cancels meeting with Dart executives, claims BT dump deal is illegal

Leaders of the Coalition to Keep BT Dump Free have just announced that they have cancelled a meeting scheduled for this evening with Dart executives, including COO Ms. Jackie Doak and CEO Mr. Mark VanDevelde.

Members of the Coalition’s Coordinating Committee had previously accepted an invitation to meet from Ms. Doak to “receive the Coalition’s input, and also to discuss questions and concerns”.   The invitation was apparently extended as part of the “public consultation” conducted by proponents of a dump in Bodden Town (BT), presumably to “demonstrate” that Dart is indeed sounding out “key stakeholders” and opponents of the dump plan.

However, in light of the adoption yesterday in the Legislative Assembly (LA) of the Public Management and Finance bill, which transposed into law the Framework for Fiscal Responsibility (FFR), the Coalition considers the BT dump deal, as agreed to by the Cayman Islands Government (CIG) and Dart, to be illegal, and therefore null and void.

“According to Minister Mark Simmonds of the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO), the FFR requires that new development projects in Cayman ‘…must be done transparently and properly’”, states Mr. Charles Clifford, a Coalition leader and a former minister of the environment.  “No major public procurements can occur ‘…unless the proper processes have been followed including by complying with international best practice on procurement.’”

In spite of the scope of the public projects involved and the value of Crown land being “swapped”, none has been submitted to a tendering process, none has been independently scrutinized in terms of “value for money”, and none has been the subject of an independent, objective and unbiased environmental evaluation.  “In fact, the Dart dump plan was submitted to tender”, adds Mr. Clifford. “and rejected by the Central Tenders Committee (CTC).  It was rated worst of all proposals considered for resolving the problem of the George Town (GT) dump.”

“The FFR is now law in the Cayman Islands”, claims Coalition leader Mr. Alain Beiner.  “As such, major public projects like the dump deal and giving away public real estate in GT, must follow the proper procurement processes as clearly set out by the Chair of the Central Tenders Committee and the Auditor General.”

Coalition leaders are demanding that Government suspend the “ForCayman Investment Alliance” dump agreement; that it commissions an independent and unbridled study by the EAB of the best waste management solution for Grand Cayman, along with the “broad public consultation” recommended by the Environmental Advisory Board (EAB); and that proper Request for Proposals (RFPs) be issued by the CTC following the EAB’s deliberations, including in regards to any divestiture of significant public assets.

“Until this is done and the proper processes followed”, continues Mr. Clifford, “the Coalition refuses to legitimize the proposed BT dump by meeting with its proponents.”  According to Mr. Beiner: “We have just advised Ms. Doak of our decision.  Government and Dart have been riding roughshod over due process, transparency, good governance, respect for our fragile environment and, now, the rule of law.  We refuse to be accessories to what we consider an illegal operation.”

For More Information:
Charles Clifford, 925.5693
Alain Beiner, 516.4953
Vincent Frederick, 323.7520
Gregg Anderson, 916.6777
E-mail:  [email protected]
Website:  www.BTdumpFree.org
November 16th 2012