Hydro Electric plant will affect water sports on river Cangrejal

By VAS TRAJKOVSKI

Local citizens and environmentalists have opposed the plan for the hydroelectric plant on the Cangrejal River, due to its legal, economic and environmental flaws for the past two and a half years. Although the project was originally given approval by the Municipal government of La Ceiba, environmentalists were able to persuade the government that the environmental impact study (EIS) conducted is full of deficiencies and needs to be researched further.

Currently, the Government of Honduras has selected a team of internationally recognized experts, recommended by the United Nations, which consists of a hydro-geologist from Guatemala; a flora and fauna expert from Spain; and an economics and tourism expert from Canada, to carry out an evaluation of the Cangrejal River project. The team is currently in the country meeting with the relative institutions, and is expected to concur with the environmentalists and insist on more studies into the environmental impact.

Hydro Honduras, the company who plan to build the dam are adamant that their EIS is sufficient, and claim to have spent two million dollars in research. Jose Herrero, an environmental activist has possession of a document from the United States Trade Development Agency showing all studies were commissioned and paid by the Honduran government, and not Hydro Honduras. He said, “Hydro Honduras may have used their political influence to get the project approved,” but the government has decided to consider the conclusions of the new evaluation presently underway.

The company’s study is deficient in many ways, from failing to examine the archaeological significance of the whole site which will be affected; to creating the belief that the new lake, with a fluctuating water level can attract a greater number of tourists than the world class white water rapids it will replace.

Hydro-Honduras’ proposed dam would only generate 40MW of electricity and for just four to eight hours a day, too little power to supply the whole of La Ceiba, faces further problems. Their parent company Hydro-West International (HWI) may be sold off, after the owner Alaska Power and Telephone were driven to bankruptcy after purchasing a gravel pit and asphalt operation. With a lot of deb to recover (around six million dollars) they have to take action by selling anything of value.
This will include Hydro-West International and depending if the correct permits are held for Hydro-Honduras, it’s value may be very low and the company will just be folded.

If they are withdrawn from the project a respectable organization, sensitive to the environmental impact, can take over and the expert’s recommendations can be taken into account. Their final proposals are due in four weeks.