Save The Bays (STB) CEO Vanessa Haley-Benjamin said she welcomes the news that a draft Environmental Protection and Planning Bill is being circulated for public comment in response to the Rubis fuel spill crisis in Marathon.

“We consider the move a significant victory for environmental protection, due process and the rule of law in The Bahamas,” Haley-Benjamin said in a statement.

“Minister of Environment Ken Dorsett is to be congratulated, along with the rest of the Cabinet, for acknowledging not only the urgent need for enhanced environmental protection legislation, but also the legal requirement that all stakeholders and interested persons be afforded an opportunity to comment and offer suggestions before new laws are passed.”

Haley-Benjamin explained that STB is currently in the process of reviewing the bill and will comment further on its contents, particularly regarding the need to consolidate all existing environmental regulations into a single, rational, all-embracing regime.

“We have long pointed out the need for a comprehensive Environmental Protection Act covering all aspects of the use of and interaction with the precious natural resources of The Bahamas,” she said.

“Our first impression is that the draft bill falls short of this standard in a number of areas and we hope the government will prove itself willing to amend accordingly in an effort to protect our nation’s patrimony for the benefit of future generations.”

Haley-Benjamin added that STB commends the Christie administration for approaching this most important issue in a forthright and open manner, in consultation with the Bahamian people.