We have received the following release from the Keep BT Dump Free Coalition where they say Government Minister and Bodden Town MLA Mark Scotland has not responded to their request for a public debate on the controversy surrounding the Dart proposal to put a dump in their backyard.

This is after Host Austin Harris announced it on the Rooster radio talk show, “Cayman Crosstalk” that Scotland had accepted a challenge from Charles Clifford and Vincent Frederick to have a public debate over the controversy.

The Press release follows in its entireity:

Minister Scotland challenged to a public debate on proposed BT dump; refuses to respond

“Not even the courtesy of a reply to our private letter following up on his agreement to a public debate,” commented Mr. Charles Clifford, a leader of the Coalition to Keep BT Dump Free.  “Like each and every request made to Minister Scotland by a Bodden Towner opposed to putting the dump in our district, he refuses to reply, or breaks his promises to respond.  Clearly, had Minister Scotland and Mr. Seymour promised the people of Bodden Town a garbage dump when they were campaigning in 2009, they would not have been elected. They know what they are doing is wrong and against the wishes of their constituents and that is why they are running and hiding.”

Mr. Clifford and Coalition leader Mr. Vincent Frederick, were guests on the popular Cayman Crosstalk radio show on October 15^th, when Minister Scotland phoned in to voice his support for Dart’s proposal to move the island’s dump to Bodden Town.  Mr. Clifford challenged Minister Scotland to a public debate on the issue, and Mr. Austin Harris, the talk show host, announced on air at the end of the show, that Scotland had informed him that he would accept the challenge.  On October 22^nd, Coalition chairman Mr. Alain Beiner, followed up on the exchange by e-mailing a private letter to Minister Scotland and MLA Dwayne Seymour, outlining a proposed format for the debate, and asking for a reply within 48 hours (see below).

“We received an automated receipt confirmation from Mr. Seymour’s Blackberry within minutes, so we know that they do have our letter,” stated Mr. Frederick.  “I’ll bet any amount of money that Minister Scotland is much more responsive to Dart.  But, Minister Scotland and Mr. Seymour were elected to represent the interests of their constituents, not those of a private real estate developer.  They certainly weren’t elected to put a dump in our district so that Dart can get the GT dump ‘out of its backyard’.  But, they’re hoping to get away with it through secrecy, deception, lies and silence.”

According to Mr. Beiner: “A public debate is the best forum for both sides – the two Government MLAs for Bodden Town who support the proposed dump; and the Coalition which opposes it – to openly and fairly present their arguments to the people of Bodden Town and of the entire island.  How else can ordinary people fully understand the issue?  How else can Government’s ‘public consultation of a technical nature’, apparently promised for November, be in the least bit meaningful, and relevant to the real-life concerns of our district?”

“For Government and Dart, the proposed dump is a ‘done deal’, before any public consultation whatsoever,” stated Coalition leader Mr. Gregg Anderson.  “And, their so-called ‘public consultation of a technical nature’ will be nothing but a PR stunt, engineered to ensure that no one understands a thing.  They’ll not mention that they outrageously muzzled the Environmental Advisory Board’s (EAB) mandate so that the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will be severely restricted. They ordered the EAB to focus only on Dart’s proposal to move the dump and needlessly contaminate a second site, and to ignore the issues which the EAB had recommended — a study of the best waste management solution for Grand Cayman, and a thorough and open site selection process if indeed the dump had to be moved.  The EAB advised as well that there must be full and ongoing consultation with the public throughout the process.”

The Coalition considers a public debate an essential part of such a process, and sincerely regrets the lack of any response from the two Government MLAs for Bodden Town.  “They continue to hide from the people who elected them.  Was Minister Scotland’s radio-show agreement to a debate just another lie?” asks Mr. Beiner.

Email of private letter

From: Coalition to Keep BT Dump Free [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: October 22, 2012 1:03 PM
To: Mark Scotland
Cc: Mark Scotland (); Dwayne Seymour; Dwayne Seymour; Coalition to Keep BT Dump Free
Subject: Public Debate on the Proposed Bodden Town Dump or “Waste Management Facility”

Minister Scotland:

As Chairman of the Coalition To Keep BT Dump Free, I’m following up on the challenge to publicly debate the proposal to establish a dump (or “waste management facility”) in Bodden Town.  You will recall that Mr. Charles Clifford issued the challenge on 15th October 2012, when you phoned in to Cayman Crosstalk while Mr. Clifford and Mr. Vincent Frederick were guests on the show as Coalition leaders.  Mr. Austin Harris, the talk show host, announced on air at the end of the programme, that you had informed him that you would accept the challenge to a public debate on this issue.

In that regard, the Coalition would like to propose the following :

1.         The public debate will take place at the Bodden Town Civic Center on a date and time to be agreed, but in the evening, and prior to the 10th of November 2012;

2.         Mr. Austin Harris will act as the Moderator;

3.         The debate will be carried live on Radio Cayman (and on Rooster 101 as well, if they are agreeable);

4.         During the debate, yourself and Mr. Dwayne Seymour, as the two Government MLAs for Bodden Town, will represent the Government, and Mr. Charles Clifford and Mr. Gregg Anderson will represent the Coalition;

5.         That the following rules will apply:

The debate will be for a duration of approximately 2 hours, followed by a 30-minute period for questions from the audience;

The Government and the Coalition will each be allowed 5 minutes for opening comments with the order being decided by a coin toss;

The Coalition will be allowed to raise 6 issues, each of which will culminate with a question to Government. The Coalition will be allowed 5 minutes to speak on each issue/question;

The Government will be allowed 5 minutes to respond to each issue/question;

The Government and the Coalition will each be allowed 2 minutes for counter responses;

The Government and the Coalition will each be allowed 10 minutes for closing comments, with the order being decided by a coin toss;

The Moderator will be the time-keeper for the debate and his decision(s) with respect to time will be final and respected by the speakers;

The Moderator will use his judgement to accept questions from the audience during a 30-minute period, and to invite the addressed speaker to respond.

We would appreciate a response by 24th October 2012 so that we can begin to work on setting a date and time, on logistics and on publicity for the event.

Yours sincerely,

Alain Beiner

Chairman

Coalition To Keep BT Dump Free