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The Toco Ferry Port

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby zoom rader » May 18th, 2019, 11:59 pm

^^^ PNM ppl to ingorant to know it was a UNC ideal.

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby ek4ever » May 19th, 2019, 12:29 am

zoom rader wrote:^^^ PNM ppl to ingorant.


Fixed

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby The_Honourable » May 19th, 2019, 1:56 am

Return of Toco Port

THERE were many reasons the 2000 Toco Port and Ferry Project hit the rocks. Chief among them were the lack of transparency shown by the developers, the amount of land acquisition that was planned, and the woeful environmental impact assessment (EIA) carried out by the developers themselves.

The 2019 version of the Toco port has not begun in an auspicious manner, either, repeating many of the worst aspects that doomed its predecessor, as MARK MEREDITH writes.

PART 2

DESPITE THE GOVERNMENT trumpeting the Toco highway and port as 'Legacy Projects' as far back as 2015, they had not once thought to ask the people who live there what their opinion might be.

Until the highly technical presentation on April 12 this year by the port designer Arun Buch and Associates and the UK-based EIA group Environmental Resources Management (ERM), the people of Toco have had no input into a project that will alter forever the village where they live, with impacts that will reach far beyond its boundaries.

Until that meeting they had no idea what location the port would actually occupy. The Express was told by a Toco resident: 'I can tell you there was no consultation with the community on the highway project and none on the port until this one.'

No one has asked residents if they want a port, far less what type of port they might like. A small ferry terminal with a simple breakwater; a basic, improved fishing port; or a massive multi-purpose port with 340-metre breakwater to keep 'hurricane-generated waves at bay'?

No one has asked them if they object to losing their beach, ocean front and scenic values at Grande L'Anse Bay to a hive of industrial maritime activity, with associated pollution and noise.

No one has been told whether their property will need to be acquired to accommodate the Valencia to Toco highway, and access to the port through the village.

Nor has the Government carried out any type of new feasibility study as to whether the construction of multi-billion-dollar highway and undisclosed cost of a very large multi-purpose port is financially tenable - Nidco has requested confidentiality of the port construction costs and this has been accepted by the EMA.

Neither, and this is pretty basic, has any sort of study been carried out as to whether anybody will want to use a ferry service from remote Toco to Tobago, or vice-versa.

Instead, just as was the case with the 2000 port project, nobody has asked anybody anything.

Some critics are adamant the proposed road should be part of the port CEC application as it is part of the same project, the reason it is being built, to service it.

As we shall see, CEC approval will not be straightforward anyway as the environmental factors that did for this would-be port's predecessor are just as serious and relevant today, and in the case of the leather back turtle, much more critical.

Nidco might argue that all these concerns can be addressed at the EIA stage. Others would counter that before you go through the expense of engaging consultants to design a multi-purpose port, hiring a team of foreign consultants for your EIA, and building a highway to connect your port, that you first establish whether such a venture in such a location is actually feasible, warranted, or even wanted.

It's a process called consultation.

A FLAWED PROCESS

The Express spoke with Evana Douglas, environmental professional and programme director of Sky Eco-Development Organisation and lifelong Toco resident. She believes in finding a balance between environmental conservation and development, and that the location and design of this port fails on these counts.

She is especially critical of the failure of Nidco to garner the expertise and knowledge of local people.

'Stakeholders Against Destruction (SAD) for Toco compiled an Alternative Development Plan. While this focused on the development of the area's tourism and culture, it did include a ferry port. The community recognized the importance of such a facility and proposed a way to get it done sustainably. (SEE BELOW)

'I can say for a fact that the current proposal by Nidco did not take this into consideration. That document was not consulted at all before they made their proposal. Therefore, in my opinion, the community itself and our views were ignored. I would also suggest that that plan is a better reference because the people who prepared it know the area much better.'

Douglas is adamant that before any kind of proposal is made the community must be included for the designing and identifying of the right location, not merely consulted, what she calls 'citizen science'.

She said the science required for determining the feasibility of the project 'already exists in our local fishermen, businessmen and businesswomen. They utilise the area for their livelihoods on a daily basis. However, that science cannot be known unless they are included'.

Douglas pointed to the fact that there are countries in other parts of the world with port infrastructure and a healthy coastal environment 'because they recognise the importance of their coastal environment and included it in their development plan'.

'I can assure you,' she said, 'that there are ways to facilitate coastal development without comprising the marine environment or the Toco culture as we know it. The fact is that the feasibility document Nidco consulted is dated. Research methodologies update yearly, sometimes even more frequently, to facilitate the global drive for sustainable development.

'As a people we do not accept anything that is dated. Clothes, appliances, electronics, cellphones go out of style or are upgraded and replaced by something better. Why must we accept dated and therefore mediocre work for such a massive project which will change the country as we know it?

'This is not good enough and frankly it borders on laziness...If it cannot be done properly (and at present, it is not being approached correctly), then it should not be done at all.'

The Express was told by Douglas that, like the consultative process, the EIA process is flawed also, especially with regard to the time being given to carry it out.

Nidco's foreign-based EIA consultants, ERM, who are not familiar with the region, gave a time line of August for the draft EIA and September for the final EIA at the April consultation.

Douglas said this amount of time was insufficient as 'the proposed area is understudied and therefore data deficient, meaning there is very little published scientific literature to give a comprehensive ecological background into what exists in that area.

'As such, any study to determine the feasibility of a port, specifically on the ecological side, would need to be a baseline-that is, a minimum of one year to facilitate the dry and wet seasons-to fully capture all the possible physical conditions that may influence ecological processes.

'We have experienced significant challenges with sea conditions and weather during our own study of the development area, which is why I am concerned about the quality of the data that would be captured during this short timeframe.

'The time given for completing the EIA is not enough to truly capture this information.'

TOCO PORT PROPOSAL

The National Infrastructure Development Company Limited (NIDCO) is the state agency charged with delivering Toco Port. The CEC application tells us: Construction Period - Approx. 3.5 years, Operational Period - 100 years. This is what is planned based in the CEC application, the ministry’s brochure, and by NIDCO’s design consultants Arun Buch & Associates.

Facilities

- Inter-Island Fast Ferry Terminal with: 2-story ferry terminal building with galleries, terrace, restaurants etc
- 2-story port admin building
- Car park for 150 vehicles
- Cargo storage shed
- Marine side facility with 600m of berthing in 7m-8m depths of of water to accommodate 5 ships of 100m
- Cargo & oil/gas work boats
- Coast guard facility (632m2) with accommodation, and berthing for 2 vessels (“The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard has expressed a desire to establish a facility at the proposed facility”).
- Marina: for approx 30 craft; also berthing for “mega yachts”
- Marina 3-story building to include: customs office; admin office; restaurant/bar; members lounge; a hotel of 25 rooms; police post; retail space;
- Fish market: repair/maintenance/fish net repair; dry and refrigerated storage/ice house
- Offices
- Bunkering facilities
- Fish fry creole village
- Finger piers for 40 small boats (10m) and 10 large boats (15m).
- Guest House to accommodate 30 rooms
- New Fisheries Complex at Mission Bay
- Fuel Storage for 750,000 gallons of fuel (diesel and gasoline)

Port & Breakwater Structures

* Total port area: 24.3 acres
Reclaimed land: 98,000 sq metres
* Approximately 518,000 cubic metres of fill will be needed; dredging works 270,000 cu.m
Breakwater: “Significant protection from extreme hurricane generated waves will be provided by a major breakwater structure”; 340m long, built in water depths ranging from 4m-9m, extending approx 3.5m above mean sea level
New drainage channel to be constructed between the port facility and the existing shore line, 10m wide and 350m long. This channel will fringe the entire eastern edge of the proposed facility.

TOCO PORT EIA TIMELINE

This is the timeline according to NIDCO – currently there is a Final Terms of Reference (TOR) being used to guide the draft EIA. The TOR was guided by public comments in the draft version by interested parties and stakeholders – (see Part 1 Toco’s déjà vu)

“Early August 2019: Draft EIA submittal
August 2019: Public Disclosure Meeting
Mid Sept 2019: Final EIA submittal”

SAD'S ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN

In 2000, in response to the threat faced by Toco from an industrial port backed by a private consortium, the community formed an organisation to fight that plan and to come up with an alternative development plan for Toco.

Stakeholders Against Destruction (S.A.D.) for Toco produced their plan in 2001 after the port plan was abandoned due to opposition from the community – that first part of SAD’s job was accomplished.

The second part, SAD’s Alternative Development Plan for Toco, was not successful. This is perhaps the saddest aspect of SAD. Their plan was bursting with good ideas on the sustainable development of Toco and its environs; ideas that could have provided a blueprint for similar development in rural communities throughout Trinidad and Tobago.

These plans are just as relevant today in the face economic decline, the need for diversification, and of communities like Toco who feel left behind. Theirs was a vision based on environmentally sensitive sustainable development shared by all from Matura to Matelot. Toco would be the “clean and green corner of Trinidad. Maybe it could, still.

* Traditional local tourism and recreational activity
* Community Based Ecotourism, including nature tourism and adventure tourism.
Revitalization and modernization of agriculture and agricultural processing, including exploitation of developing niche markets for specialty products, both locally and internationally; organic farming; a farm center
* Revitalization and modernization of the fishing industry.
Consolidation and expansion of Toco as a center of sporting excellence (they now have an Olympic champion); mountain biking, surfing, beach volleyball
* Cultural and social initiatives; creative arts

Source: https://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/lo ... c2050.html

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby zoom rader » May 19th, 2019, 7:24 am

^^^ dont ever trust what you read in those PNM media houses.
Its all window dressing

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby De Dragon » May 20th, 2019, 5:19 pm

The (flawed) logic seems to be that if it can't be built in the least of the environmental "evils" then where? There seems to be absolutely no thought about NOT building it. Is it that like a long line of "economic projects" this one too will be shoved down our throats by career politicians who "know" better?
I've followed this series on the environmental impacts at Toco in the Express and it seems like no matter where it is located it will disturb some sensitive local ecosystem.
Then again if the PM of the country could defend Sandals against his own people's calls for transparency, and there is no Sandals to pull out this time, this hare brained idea will likely come to fruition

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby The_Honourable » May 22nd, 2019, 10:52 am

EVERY HABITAT IS CRITICAL

The UN's Global Assessment Report published earlier this month warns that one million species (and one third of marine species) face extinction, with habitat loss a major factor.

Our own species is now under threat because of the loss of biodiversity, they say. How we protect our environment has never been more important. NIDCO and their Toco port consultants claim however that the natural environment of Toco's proposed development area 'does not possess a critical habitat'.

Quite the opposite is true. Today, every habitat is critical.

Part III

By MARK MEREDITH

AROUND THE WORLD LEATHERBACK sea turtles are under assault. They are killed for their meat, their eggs are taken from nests, and those that reach adulthood are likely to be hit by shipping, industrial fishing boats, caught on their lines or in their nets, or die from plastic waste ingestion.

This remarkable giant, Dermochelys coriacea, which undertakes migrations averaging 3,700 km each way between breeding and nesting areas, that is distributed more widely than any other reptile and has survived the last 100 million years, outlasting the dinosaurs with whom it swam–may have finally met its match, especially here.

One of the most important leatherback breeding areas anywhere in the world is in Trinidad.

Here, up to 3,000 turtles are caught in gillnets every year, with over 1,000 egg-bearing turtles killed.

Now they face the added threat of a large port with shipping lanes passing through one of their most important and concentrated population areas.

'I can't imagine a more foolish project than to put a port with large vessels steaming through a major assembly area for leatherback sea turtles. High levels of boat strikes of leatherbacks and mortality will result.'

That was the damning reaction of the world's leading authority on leatherback turtles in Trinidad when questioned by the Sunday Express on his views of a multi-purpose port in Toco.

LEATHERBACK HOTSPOT

Prof Scott A Eckert (PhD) is chair of the Department of Biology and Natural Resources at Principia College in Elsah, Illinois, USA, and director of Science of the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST).

He has done more research into our leatherback populations than anyone alive.

The area Prof Eckert is talking about is Galera Point, where the Toco lighthouse is situated. He said: 'Galera Point is a mating assembly area for leatherbacks from February to May and is an area where female leatherbacks frequent between nesting events.'

He supplied a map using GIS (Geographic Information System) analysis techniques showing leatherback hotspots along the north and east coasts of Trinidad, where encountering leatherbacks is highly probable.

The map represents clusters of geographic locations were fisherman caught leatherbacks in their gill nets.

As you can see from the map, one of the largest leatherback hotspots is the area off Galera Point and Toco-where vessels using a multi-purpose port would pass right through-which Eckert describes in a 2006 paper as 'an exceptionally important residence area'.

Prof Eckert was adamant that 'data delineating the area immediately offshore of the proposed facility as a leatherback hotspot is unequivocal and must be considered in any EIA'.

In other words, Galera Point must form part of the EIA as it cannot be separated from the port study area.

But this area is not specifically covered in the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the Toco port EIA, which concentrates on the immediate project area.

However, the TOR does say that the study area must include 'nearshore coastal areas and marine and terrestrial protected areas and Environmentally Sensitive Areas(ESA), that can be affected by the project's activities...'

TOCO PORT INADVISABLE

The question for UK-based ERM consultants doing the EIA is whether they are aware of the significance of Matura (an ESA) or Grande Riviere's leatherback population, or the importance of the leatherback hotspot area lying right off the project area at Galera Point.

In his 2005 paper 'High-use oceanic areas for Atlantic leatherback sea turtles', Scott Eckert writes: 'Trinidad supports one of the largest nesting populations of leatherbacks in the world with approximately 6,000 turtles nesting annually...turtles from both the Grande Riviere and Matura nesting beaches spent extended time in this area (Galera Pt) between nestings.'

He explained that the currents that intersect off Galera may serve to concentrate jellyfish populations, their main food source.

He wrote: 'Given the importance of Galera Point to leatherback sea turtles as a mating area and an inter-nesting refuge, perturbations such as commercial developments or commercial fishing operations should be limited.'

And: 'Given the critically endangered status of Dermochelys coriacea and the importance of the region around Galera Point to the Trinidad nesting population, development of a Toco port facility may be inadvisable.'

He is using stronger language today, and this is why.

In a 2013 paper, writing about the devastating impact gillnet fishing was having on the population of Trinidad leatherback turtles, he said:

'The current status of the Trinidad nesting colony is alarming. Despite strong growth in the population through the 1990s and dramatic progress in protecting turtles on their nesting beaches, the population has been in a rapid decline since 2006.'

He told the Sunday Express that the decline of leatherbacks in Trinidad amounted to approximately six per cent per year since 2006 and was local only to Trinidad in the region.

'Continuing mortality of leatherback sea turtles by coastal fisheries will reduce the population size to pre-1990s levels and may result in population extinction.'

TOCO'S CORAL HABITAT

NIDCO’s consultants’ claims of there being no critical habitat in Grande L'Anse Bay are misinformed, according to scientists who have studied the area for many years.

At the consultation presentation on April12th, Arun Buch claimed that the Sea Bridge Team had done a mapping system, and that north east Toco Bay “was devoid of any critical marine habitats. And the effect on marine life under the footprint was not severe and therefore they recommended Toco Bay”.

The IMA were more specific, saying: “the rocks scattered throughout the eastern section of the bay are the substrate on which a number of coral and octocoral communities have developed. The coral and octocoral communities have a recreational and educational potential”, and goes on to list the many species which existed there.

“Incidental nesting of both the leatherback turtle and the hawksbill turtle have been recorded in this bay by the Wildlife Section of the Forestry Division,” they added.

A Toco resident told the Express that five years ago he had “observed the spectacle of several hundred turtle hatchlings heading into the sea from Mission Beach”.

In 2000, the then developers’ dismissal of a coral habitat, including by the same Sea Bridge Team member Lee Young & Partners, was hotly disputed.

It still is.

And today, with one third of reef building corals facing extinction, an example of the oceans’ “coral reefs flickering out”, coral survival is more critical than ever.

“Caribbean coral reefs, like coral reefs across the globe, are among the world’s most valuable and most threatened ecosystems, making them a major priority for conservation and management.”

That was written by Dr Stanton Belford, Assistant professor of Biology at Martin Methodist College, USA in a paper which studied corals in Grande L'Anse Bay.

In comments on the TOR for the EIA , he describes many species of coral in Grande L'Anse Bay and disputes the assertions made by NIDCO’s consultants, saying: “marine biodiversity at Grande L'Anse, which is the proposed location for this facility, will require destruction of a biodiverse area”.

He told the Express: “To say the reefs are devoid of critical marine habitats, would undermine Dr. Tom Goreau’s statement of the habitat being ‘unique’ and it was his statement that initially pushed Dr. Dawn A.T. Phillip, former lecturer at UWI, and myself to start monitoring these reefs in 2005 to the present.”

He said: “There were 79 species reported, which include environmentally sensitive animals, such as the Atlantic triton, Slate pencil urchin, and a few unknown sea anemone species. There is even a possibility of new species of soft coral located at Grande L Anse . . .”

A study by Sky Eco-Development Organisation's programme director Evana Douglas, part of a team from the University of Trinidad and Tobago, is currently working on determining the extent of the existing coral where the port is proposed to be. Douglas explained that the marginal coral communities fringing Grande L'Anse Bay were special because coral development on mainland Trinidad is rare due to the extreme environmental conditions surrounding the island.

'The proposed port design does not accommodate this habitat at all. As a matter of fact, it will totally destroy it by covering sections of it with backfill and uprooting other areas with dredging works,' Douglas said.

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Graphic by Professor Scott Eckert showing leatherback hotspots off Toco and migratory patterns

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby zoom rader » May 22nd, 2019, 11:30 am

^^^ Very nice I guess Aboud and fishermens friends of the sea got paid off

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby The_Honourable » May 26th, 2019, 12:29 pm

Toco's Turning Tide – Part 4

THE "OPTIMAL" LOCATION

The government and their consultants get it wrong. Again.

The National Infrastructure Development Company (NIDCO) tell us that Toco is the “optimal location for a ferry port”. But can anywhere in north east Trinidad be considered “optimal” for a large, multipurpose port?

MARK MEREDITH reports on why Toco could also be described as the “worst” possible option

Part IV

IN 1988 THE INSTITUTE OF MARINE AFFAIRS (IMA) conducted a study called 'Potential Location for Port Development in North-East Trinidad'. That IMA report looked at the feasibility of Grand Riviere, Balandra, and Toco as locations for a port.

The Ministry of Works and Transport, in its 2017 Master Works brochure, and their consultants Arun Buch & Associates at the public consultation on April 12, tell us Toco was the preferred location chosen by the IMA. The ministry's brochure claims the IMA findings confirmed that 'Toco Bay provided the optimal location for a ferry port'.

This is inaccurate.

In their executive summary, the IMA report actually states: 'Toco Bay on the other hand though less remote, more populated, nearest to Tobago, and with somewhat better road access, offers the worst option for port development with respect to the cost factor. It offers the smallest area for harbour space, and requires the greatest amount of breakwater construction and land reclamation.'

It goes on to state: 'Based on the ecological environmental impacts described above for the three bays, it can be concluded that Toco Bay will be most impacted on or most altered by the construction of port and harbour facilities.'

But Arun Buch, in a slide presentation at the consultation used to reinforce the choice of Toco as a location, quoted an IMA passage saying, 'Toco Bay area has the least aesthetic qualities of the three beaches and will therefore suffer least from a change in the nature of the landscape'.

However, it could be argued that aesthetic landscape values are an entirely subjective viewpoint, especially if you live in that landscape.

The IMA report describes the physical disadvantages of Toco, while admitting that a port would enhance the development of the local fishing industry.

'Of all the three sites, wind, wave and current activity are by far the strongest at this site. The physical requirements of a port here will therefore be very costly, compared to the other two sites.

'Water depths are deep, thus requiring more massive structures than at the other sites; available land space is severely limited and thus expensive land reclamation is inescapable . . .'

And, crucially, the 'difficulty of approach for ferry vessels due to the direction of the prevailing winds and currents.'

FEASIBLE LOCATION?

Nidco, in its argument for Toco, states: 'an examination of the geological and oceanographic characteristics of this bay has indicated that the eastern end of Toco Bay is the most suitable for harbour development.' This passage was also highlighted in the public slide presentation.

In isolation that sounds quite convincing, but as we see elsewhere (above), it is not the most suitable for harbour development at all, according to the IMA. Quite the opposite.

Nidco has also used for its Toco argument a 1990 report carried out by a group called the 'Sea Bridge Team'. This was a private 'consortium of consultants', one of whose authors was engineering firm Lee Young and Partners (LYP).

It was LYP that produced the much derided in-house EIA for another private consortium called Worldwide Traders International (WTI), the group behind the rejected 2000 port project.

The Sea Bridge report favours Toco, and recommended a 50-strong fishing fleet of long-liners, among other facilities, which LYP's WTI 2000 project carried forward.

This 'dated' and questionable report has been jumped upon by Nidco and Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan as proof that Toco is a feasible location.

Contrary to what Nidco and its consultants say, the 1988 IMA report was not conclusive in favouring any one location. Instead, it concluded that while Grand Riviere may have the best anchorage, and be best for a multi-purpose port with ferries, its ecological importance as a nesting site of critically endangered leatherback turtles ruled it out.

BALANDRA BETTER OPTION

Balandra, though having a fixable 'sedimentation problem', was regarded most favourably due to it being serviced by better roads and its proximity to urban centres and eastern fishing grounds.

The report suggested that at Balandra 'there could be an independent ferry service from Balandra to Tobago using a much smaller vessel perhaps around 30m or thereabouts'.

It further explained that a port facility at Balandra encompassing 'multi-purpose vessels (fishing, surveillance, small ferries) be accommodated within the fishing port concept, and at considerable cost savings, and no disadvantage to east coast fishery development'.

It concluded: 'Of all the resources which can potentially impact positively on the development of the north-eastern area of Trinidad, the exclusive economic zone fisheries resource holds the greatest promise'.

Toco, as we've seen, was regarded as the 'worst option' with regard to cost, space, reclamation, and anchorage suitability. Hardly 'optimal'.

The Express asked Colin Barcant, a marine industry expert who developed the CrewsInn Marina in Chaguaramas, his views on Toco as a port location.

His major concern was that several key issues had been ignored, and that the criteria for which site made most sense had not been applied. These included marine operational cost, the capital cost of extending the road network, the development cost of the site itself, maritime location (safe harbour entrance), environmental impact on the landward side, and capacity for expansion.

Barcant even supplied the Express with a basic matrix looking at the choices of Toco, Balandra, and Saline Bay/Salybia Island. Toco came last in all categories except the distance from Tobago, which he said represented marginal savings compared to all the other '3rd choices' Toco fell under.

Given the criteria, he said, Saline Bay 'is measurably superior in terms of a natural site for this type of activity'.

RAGING SEAS

Fishermen and Friends of the Sea in a statement has questioned the wisdom of a port on this stretch of coastline, referring to a statement made by Arun Buch at the consultation: 'Mr Buch stated that 'the harbour is not designated as a refuge' during a hurricane situation? What would this mean for fishermen vessels and other marinas docked during the hurricane months of August – October?'

The Express has been told by a lifelong resident of Toco of other extreme sea conditions which prevail on that part of the coast, what they call 'ground sea'. It occurs between September and March.

'When this happens the waves become quite huge and ferocious, coming ashore and crashing onto the rocks and cliffs with tremendous force. The sea sometimes rushes straight across the Paria Main Road,' he said.

He said the 'ground sea' is unpredictable. 'The turbulence often begins without much warning and is not wind driven.' He said the conditions last from a few hours, to weeks, and he's known it to last five months, unbroken.

'I am unconvinced that the breakwater which the developers propose to build would be enough to calm the raging sea to a sufficient extent,' he said.

The concern about sea conditions around Toco was backed up by another lifelong resident of Toco with a background in coastal zone management, who added:

'At certain times of the year and during rare, but intense sea conditions, there are known currents in the area that can take debris as far as Grande Riviere. This suggests a connection to coastline areas beyond the Grande L'Anse area. Therefore the question should be, how far West would actually be at risk from this planned development?'

Mission Beach, where dredging is proposed directly in front, would be at likely risk from erosion just as had happened when Atlantic LNG's pier and dredging destroyed Clifton Beach.

'If a single pier can do this to an entire beach, which was about the same size as Mission Beach, what can an entire port do?' the resident asked.

It was explained there was a savannah directly behind the beach on the western end. 'It hosts sport days, cricket tournaments, family days, etc. There are also surrounding businesses and homes, all of which makes the beach a hub at certain times of the year.

'The destruction of this beach would have a significant impact on Toco physically, economically and culturally. It will definitely compromise the future generation of Toco and Mission from experiencing the physical beach environment and some of the local events I grew up with.

'It is not in line with our sustainable development vision as a nation,' the resident added.

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby rspann » May 26th, 2019, 12:52 pm

Nah that is the best option. The PM knows all.

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby zoom rader » May 26th, 2019, 1:08 pm

rspann wrote:Nah that is the best option. The PM knows all.
Redman and elite swear by this

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby The_Honourable » October 6th, 2019, 10:58 am

Billion-dollar Toco port to start weeks before general election

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Work on the bil­lion-dol­lar To­co Fer­ry Port is sched­uled to start mere weeks be­fore the 2020 gen­er­al elec­tion.

Re­quest for ap­provals for the mega project has al­ready been sub­mit­ted to the En­vi­ron­men­tal Man­age­ment Au­thor­i­ty (EMA) by the Na­tion­al In­fra­struc­ture De­vel­op­ment Com­pa­ny (NID­CO), ac­cord­ing to its chair­man Her­bert George.

NID­CO has full re­spon­si­bil­i­ty for the project which George is ea­ger to get off the ground to stim­u­late in­dus­tri­al, com­mer­cial, eco­tourism and res­i­den­tial ac­tiv­i­ty in the un­der­de­vel­oped north­east­ern re­gion which has a pop­u­la­tion of over 75,000.

On Wednes­day, George sat down with Guardian Me­dia at his El So­cor­ro of­fice to give an up­date on the project which has be­gun to take shape. He said in the third quar­ter of 2020 one is ex­pect­ed to see "boots on the ground on that project."

Con­struc­tion of the port which will be done in phas­es is ex­pect­ed to take 30 months.

Ques­tioned about the cost of the project, George said the last es­ti­mate they re­ceived was "$900 mil­lion."

This fig­ure, George said, can es­ca­late.

"The en­gi­neer was de­tailed in his es­ti­mate. If there is to be any in­crease, in that, it is not like­ly to be ex­or­bi­tant."

Asked if the To­co Port—Prime Min­is­ter Dr Kei­th Row­ley's pet project—will be a pri­or­i­ty for the Gov­ern­ment and funds will be read­i­ly avail­able, George replied, "I can­not sec­ond guess the Gov­ern­ment to say whether it would be a pri­or­i­ty for them. But to the ex­tent that it is, we are here to de­liv­er it.

"You may have is­sues with fund­ing. You may not have all the mon­ey that you need. But there are com­pet­ing in­ter­ests that you have to ser­vice. You can­not say for ex­am­ple you don't have mon­ey now, so let us put in­fra­struc­tur­al de­vel­op­ment on hold un­til you get the mon­ey. You might say be­cause you have less mon­ey now you can­not han­dle as many projects as you would have liked to. But some things must be done."

George said one had to look at what is im­por­tant and di­vide the mon­ey you have.

If a new Gov­ern­ment is formed in 2020, George said chances are that con­struc­tion of the port can be de­layed.

"The way these things work...a gov­ern­ment may come in and say they don't want the port be­cause they have a dif­fer­ent pri­or­i­ty. An­oth­er might come in and run with the port."

Gov't gets the ball rolling with $196 m Va­len­cia to To­co Road up­grade

In No­vem­ber 2016, Row­ley an­nounced the con­struc­tion of the fer­ry port which he said would bring great op­por­tu­ni­ties and gen­er­ate eco­nom­ic growth to com­mu­ni­ties in the re­gion.

To get the ball rolling, Row­ley and Works and Trans­port Min­is­ter Ro­han Sinanan turned the sod in March for the con­struc­tion of a $196 mil­lion road up­grade from Va­len­cia to To­co Road which will be used as the port's di­rect route.

Work on the 12.4 kilo­me­tre road­way is ex­pect­ed to be com­plet­ed in 13 months.

The idea for a port was con­ceived from as ear­ly as 1990—some three decades ago—by a con­sor­tium of con­sul­tants called "Sea Bridge Team" who con­duct­ed a fea­si­bil­i­ty study for a sea bridge ser­vice be­tween Trinidad and To­ba­go.

The con­sul­tants con­firmed that To­co was an ide­al lo­ca­tion for a fer­ry port.

George said the port will be a mul­ti-pur­pose fa­cil­i­ty di­vid­ed in­to five sec­tions—a two-storey fer­ry ter­mi­nal build­ing, fish­ing com­plex, two-storey port ad­min­is­tra­tion of­fice build­ing, cap­i­tainer­ie and Coast Guard base.

He said based on the project's foot­print, NID­CO had al­ready ap­plied to the EMA for an En­vi­ron­men­tal Im­pact As­sess­ment (EIA).

"That EIA has been go­ing on for some time. A con­cep­tu­al de­sign was done. We need­ed to have a de­sign to ap­proach the EMA."

George said NID­CO has al­ready pro­cured in­ter­na­tion­al EIA con­sul­tant En­vi­ron­men­tal Re­sources Man­age­ment (ERM) to en­sure that every­thing is done above board.

"We are us­ing that for­eign con­sul­tant to do the EIA for the port. At the end of this year a re­port from the EIA con­sul­tant is due."

This re­port must be sub­mit­ted to the EMA who has to re­spond in four months.

NID­CO would then ap­ply for a Cer­tifi­cate of En­vi­ron­men­tal Clear­ance (CEC)

"Even if, when we get the CEC there is a ten­den­cy for peo­ple to raise lots of ob­jec­tions un­til it set­tles down and the work will then pro­ceed."

This, George said, was his biggest chal­lenge with the project.

Once clear­ance is giv­en, George said ten­ders would go out and a con­tract will be award­ed.

"I sus­pect in the third quar­ter of 2020 one will ac­tu­al­ly see boots on the ground on that project," George said.

Up­on com­ple­tion of each phase, George said it will be opened.

"One does not re­quire to have all those fa­cil­i­ties here be­fore you open."

To­co Fish­ing Fa­cil­i­ty to be re­lo­cat­ed

George said the on­ly busi­ness that will be re­lo­cat­ed to make way for the port is the To­co Fish­ing Fa­cil­i­ty which is used by the fish­er­folk.

"There is no re­lo­ca­tion cost in­volved be­cause of where the port is lo­cat­ed."

He said the port will pro­vide ac­com­mo­da­tion for two fast fer­ries, 40 mari­nas, 50 fish­ing ves­sels in­clud­ing the Coast Guard boats.

The Galleons Pas­sage, which ac­com­mo­dates 600 pas­sen­gers and 200 ve­hi­cles, George said, will ser­vice the seabridge from To­co to To­ba­go.

It would take 45 min­utes from To­co to Scar­bor­ough com­pared to the three-hour sail­ing time from Port-of-Spain to To­ba­go.

Jobs for the peo­ple of the re­gion

A 1998 study un­der­tak­en by a team, George said, showed a lack of eco­nom­ic ac­tiv­i­ty in the north­east­ern re­gion.

The re­gion al­so has the high­est pover­ty rate in the coun­try with hun­dreds of res­i­dents out of jobs.

"That is what guid­ed the whole de­ci­sion and think­ing of the port. To look at ways in which one can do some in­fra­struc­tur­al de­vel­op­ment in that area to gen­er­ate em­ploy­ment and eco­nom­ic growth."

While the re­port may be out­dat­ed, George said the north­east­ern re­gion has not im­proved eco­nom­i­cal­ly.

"If noth­ing...things have got­ten worse."

"The port will be like a growth cen­tre there. It will al­so boost our tourism sec­tor."

He said To­co has a lot to of­fer with its fish­ing and agri­cul­ture sec­tors which need­ed to be tapped in­to.

When con­struc­tion be­gins, George said, labour­ers, ma­sons, elec­tri­cians, plumbers, se­cu­ri­ty of­fi­cers, welders, su­per­vi­sors and en­gi­neers are some of the em­ploy­ment op­por­tu­ni­ties that will be avail­able.

Fol­low­ing com­ple­tion, George said jobs such as se­cu­ri­ty of­fi­cers, jan­i­tors, ad­min­is­tra­tive staff, fish­ing net menders, ven­dors, main­te­nance work­ers, wait­ers, cooks, land­scap­ers, elec­tri­cians, plumbers and ship­wright can be ob­tained.

A spin-off from the port, George said was the op­er­a­tion of the Coast Guard base which would pro­tect our bor­ders.

While some cit­i­zens have ar­gued that the port will bring no ben­e­fits to the re­gion and its peo­ple, George dis­agreed say­ing it was all about vi­sion.

"Peo­ple said the same thing when the Point Lisas port was be­ing de­vel­oped...and look at it to­day. That is what gov­ern­ments do. You have to look at your coun­try and see how best to use re­sources and de­vel­op what we have so there will be greater val­ue added at the end of the day for your peo­ple."

What the To­co Port will of­fer

•The ter­mi­nal build­ing will com­prise a pub­lic con­course, bag­gage stor­age, of­fices, re­tail kiosks, pub­lic lifts, bar gallery, VIP lounge and park­ing for staff and pub­lic.

•In­clud­ed in the fish­eries com­plex will be a po­lice post, re­tail and com­mer­cial spaces, car park for 60 ve­hi­cles, fish­ing net and boat re­pair yards, ice mak­er and fish and wa­ter stor­ages, gas sta­tion, fish mar­ket hall and a vil­lage in­cor­po­rat­ing a band­stand, toi­lets, fish stalls, gar­den and am­phithe­atre.

•The cap­i­tainer­ie will be equipped with a dingy dock, porte-cochere, of­fices, re­cep­tion ar­eas, cus­toms and se­cu­ri­ty of­fi­cers, car park, re­tail out­lets, boat­yard, din­ing ter­race/bal­cony, fish­ing out­lets and mari­nas mem­bers club lounge.

•List­ed in the Coast Guard base are of­fices, brief­ing room, gal­ley, base com­man­der's of­fice, re­cep­tion se­cu­ri­ty and wait­ing rooms, mess hall, ar­moury, male and fe­male quar­ters.

•The port ad­min­is­tra­tion of­fice will con­sist of of­fices, cus­toms and ad­min­is­tra­tion, main­te­nance and plant rooms, se­cu­ri­ty, wait­ing and re­cep­tion ar­eas, staff rooms, stor­age and pi­lots' fa­cil­i­ties.

Source: http://www.cnc3.co.tt/press-release/bil ... l-election

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby VII » October 6th, 2019, 2:01 pm

RIP Toco and environs .

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby bluefete » October 6th, 2019, 2:05 pm

VII wrote:RIP Toco and environs .


This is exactly what I was going to write. The beauty that is Toco will be no more and only for the rich.

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby shake d livin wake d dead » October 6th, 2019, 2:32 pm

There goes camping up toco and the destruction of a good beach, probably one of the best in tdad.

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby rspann » October 6th, 2019, 3:22 pm

Allyuh studying schools incomplete, hospitals unfinished and unopened, roads in a deplorable state, no water, too much water, crime, murders and other unimportant things. Growlers know what is best for us, we need captaineries with porte-cocheres.. Great is shitkickers.

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby matr1x » October 6th, 2019, 5:52 pm

I want them to build it



A symbol of corruption and stupidity. And when the seabridge fails, it will have 2 ports for ppl to sweat.

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby Blaze d Chalice » October 6th, 2019, 6:08 pm

But it will still have San souci and grand reviere etc not so?

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby The_Honourable » December 13th, 2019, 10:35 am

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shake d livin wake d dead
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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby shake d livin wake d dead » December 13th, 2019, 11:05 am

so.....how far they reach??

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby De Dragon » December 14th, 2019, 10:33 am

shake d livin wake d dead wrote:so.....how far they reach??

To facking up an environmentally sensitive area and its surroundings? About half-way :roll:

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby The_Honourable » May 7th, 2020, 8:51 pm

COVID halts $million Toco port

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The multi-million dollar port planned for Toco has been shelved for now.

Head of the National Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (NIDCO) Herbert George said that plans for the port have been “shelved” because of the COVID-19 virus.

“What I can briefly tell you about the Toco port is that it is one of our projects that has been shut down due to COVID-19,” George said.

“So far we have done and submitted the EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) to the EMA Environmental Management Authority), it is over to them to deal with our CEC (Certificate of Environmental Compliance) application,” George said.

On April 14, the EMA issued a submission for public comment for the CEC on behalf of the NIDCO and the Ministry of Works. According to that document, the Ministry of Works is “desirous of setting up a modern, multipurpose port facility on 19.9 hectares of land.”

The application is for the dredging, land reclamation, earthworks and infrastructural works at Grand Anse Bay.

The application, gazetted in April said that the administrative record for the project was available for viewing from Tuesday, April 14 to May 22 at the EMA’s website.

Back in October, George had said that work on the port was scheduled to start just before the 2020 general election.

The Government had given NIDCO full responsibility for the project.

He said then that in the third quarter of 2020 one is expected to see “boots on the ground on that project.” Construction of the port which will be done in phases is expected to take 30 months.

Works Minister Rohan Sinanan confirmed that the project had stopped. He said that it was one of a few projects to be shelved as Government focuses on dealing with the fall-out from the coronavirus.

“The ministry will be giving an update on all its projects, it’s status and projected timelines soon,” he said.

Source: https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/covid-h ... 1eefc4df62

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby Blaze d Chalice » May 9th, 2020, 6:36 am

Why stop now though?
I woulda think that they would capitalize on this period and get more work done, reducing that 30 months to get it done just in time for election.

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby The_Honourable » September 8th, 2021, 11:59 am

Govt gets green light for road to Toco ...seeking approval for port

Image
An aerial view of Grande L’Anse Bay and Mission Beach. Comprising a coral habitat, nesting site for turtles and a source of recreation for Toco residents. The area is to be transformed into a port and energy industry

WORKS and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan said the Government has received approval from the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) to construct the roadway leading to the Toco Ferry Port.

He said that approval was granted for a single lane highway in virgin territory, and that the Government is still going through the process to get full EMA approval for the Toco port.

In an interview with Express Business last week, Sinanan said that he expects the process to take some time as it would require several consultations.

However, the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic affected the ability to host consultations for the port.

“But we are in for the long haul. We have the approval for the roadway. And we are going through the process for the port and we expect it will take some time because we have to address a number of issues with regard to the port,” he said.

He noted that work on the road from Valencia to Toco had been proceeding.

In November 2016, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley announced the construction of the ferry port which he said would bring great opportunities and generate economic growth to communities in the region.

To this end, Sinanan had turned the sod in March 2018 for the construction of a $196 million road upgrade from Valencia to Toco, which will be used as the direct route to the port.

The idea for a port was conceived from as early as 1990—some three decades ago—by a consortium of consultants called “Sea Bridge Team” who conducted a feasibility study for a sea bridge service between Trinidad and Tobago.

The Government’s decision to establish the Toco Ferry Port, and its hopes to have it started in 2020 before the general election, were met with opposition from several environmental stakeholders.

The project falls under the National Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (NIDCO).

At the time of the announcement, chairman Herbert George had said NIDCO was eager to get the project off the ground to stimulate industrial, commercial, ecotourism and residential activity in the underdeveloped north-eastern region, which has a population of over 75,000.

However last year, George had told Guardian Media Limited that the plan had been “shelved” because of the pandemic.

“What I can briefly tell you about the Toco port is that it is one of our projects that has been shut down due to Covid-19,” George said.

“So far we have done and submitted the EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) to the EMA (Environmental Management Authority). It is over to them to deal with our CEC (Certificate of Environmental Compliance) application,” George had said.

On April 14, 2020, the EMA sought public comment for the CEC on behalf of NIDCO and the Ministry of Works.

The application was also gazetted at the same time.

The published document said the Ministry of Works is “desirous of setting up a modern, multi-purpose port facility on 19.9 hectares of land”.

The application is for the dredging, land reclamation, earthworks and infrastructural works at Grand Anse Bay.

Once approval is granted, construction of the port will be done in phases, and is expected to take 30 months.

On May 22, 2020, 19 civil society organisations (CSOs) challenged several conclusions of the Environmental Impact Assessment on the Toco Port.

The CSOs argued that the proposal for the Toco Port is inconsistent with the Vision 2030 National Development Strategy which places the environment at the centre of social and economic development.

Citing “critical misrepresentations and shortcomings” in the EIA’s assessment of the biodiversity and ecosystems on the north-east coast of Trinidad and the wider Caribbean/Atlantic marine environment, they urged the EMA to apply the Precautionary Principle in the National Environmental Policy (NEP) in their deliberations on the granting of a CEC to the Port project.

The NEP requires the Government to “adhere to the principle that if there are threats of serious irreversible damage to humans or the environment, lack of full scientific certainty will not be used as a reason for postponing social and environmental safeguards.”

The CSOs went on to challenge the selection of Toco for a port, noting that the feasibility study on which it is based was done 32 years ago and that even then, the pros and cons of a port at Toco had been weighed without definitive recommendation.

The project is projected to cost $900 million.

Source: https://trinidadexpress.com/business/lo ... 5ab3d.html

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby nick639v2 » September 8th, 2021, 1:43 pm

Hurting my soul that progress is being made with this. If this passes, my vice of driving up north coast for a breather will be no more yes

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby ruskie » September 9th, 2021, 3:58 pm

Crazy.

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby sam1978 » September 9th, 2021, 4:46 pm

The best location for the Toco port is Port of Spain.

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby teems1 » September 9th, 2021, 4:57 pm

sam1978 wrote:The best location for the Toco port is Port of Spain.


Explain.

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby sam1978 » September 9th, 2021, 5:41 pm

Ahmmm,
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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby Habit7 » September 9th, 2021, 6:55 pm

Trinis: Why cant the Toco Main Rd be better. So much poor ppl in Sangre Grande Constituency. We need to diversify our economy!

Govt: We will upgrade the Toco road and drainage. Then we will create a new port in Toco, it will provide jobs, boost tourism and foster a service sector not dependant on the O&G industry. Plus the shorter ferry distance will reduce the $350M subsidy on the sea bridge.

Trinis: But that will mess up my nostalgia of there being underdeveloped. Leave it just so.

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Re: The Toco Ferry Port

Postby De Dragon » September 9th, 2021, 9:59 pm

Habit7 wrote:Trinis: Why cant the Toco Main Rd be better. So much poor ppl in Sangre Grande Constituency. We need to diversify our economy!

Govt: We will upgrade the Toco road and drainage. Then we will create a new port in Toco, it will provide jobs, boost tourism and foster a service sector not dependant on the O&G industry. Plus the shorter ferry distance will reduce the $350M subsidy on the sea bridge.

Trinis: But that will mess up my nostalgia of there being underdeveloped. Leave it just so.

You LFD RFD PNM arse lackey.
The pristine nature of Toco is what makes that drive the experience it is.
Are you really proposing that roads and other infrastructure can't be upgraded without a port at the end of them? :?

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