Dominica: Oil Refinery on Hold

ELAW Executive Director, Bern Johnson, is interviewed for a Dominican radio station.

Some say Dominica is the only Caribbean island that Christopher Columbus would recognize if he returned today. A project proposed by Venezuela's President Chavez to build an oil refinery in Dominica would shock Columbus.

President Chavez provides a range of assistance programs to Dominicans and wields enormous influence. Citizens fear that this influence will move the Dominican government to accept the short-term gains of a long-term environmentally devastating oil refinery project.

The oil refinery project was first announced by the governments of Dominica and Venezuela in early 2007, but no detailed information about the project or its potential environmental impacts was ever disclosed to the public. Citizens were concerned that a deal to construct the refinery would be made without any public participation in the decision and without considering the potential harm to Dominica's incredible biodiversity and fledgling ecotourism businesses.

In January 2008, after the government of Dominica declared that it was giving a "green light" to the oil refinery project, Dominica's Waitukubuli Environmental Foundation (WEF) requested help challenging the project.

ELAW advised WEF on filing public information requests and shortly thereafter, WEF submitted a request to the Dominican government demanding that it disclose any environmental studies and reports supporting the government's decision to approve the project.

The information request had a positive effect and likely confirmed what citizens had thought all along to be true -- that the government had not completed any environmental impact assessment or studies.

In February, ELAW received good news from Bernard Wiltshire, attorney and President of WEF.

Bernard wrote: "The Prime Minister sent for WEF on Friday, 1st February, to tell us that Government has decided to put the refinery project on hold."

Reaching out to communities in Dominca and St. Lucia

Left to right: Bernard Wiltshire (Dominica), Liz Mitchell (ELAW), Diana McCaulay (Jamaica), Danielle Andrade (Jamaica), and Bern Johnson (ELAW).

ELAW helps partners around the world host community workshops to empower citizens to play a role in decisions that impact their lives. ELAW Executive Director Bern Johnson, ELAW Staff Attorney Liz Mitchell, and ELAW partners at the Jamaica Environment Trust traveled to Dominica and St. Lucia in November 2007 to co-host community workshops.

Bern says: "People living in these islands are committed to protecting them. Working with local lawyers, we help these citizens speak with a strong voice."

In Dominica, citizens voiced concerns about Chavez's oil project and the adverse impacts of a proposed airport expansion project on water quality and coral reefs. In St. Lucia, citizens are worried about the recent lifting of a ban on sea turtle harvesting. In both Dominica and St. Lucia, community members want access to justice and stronger community participation in decisions that impact the natural environment.

ELAW thanks the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation for supporting its work protecting the biodiversity of Caribbean island nations through law.