Owen Myers
The Telegram (St. John’s)
March 11, 2001

Newfoundland citizen writes letter to St. John’s Evening Telegram editor expressing concern over Fortis’ proposed Chalillo dam in Belize.

Letter to the editor,

I write in respect to the Chalillo dam and reservoir to be built by Fortis on the Macal River in Belize. It is very sad that after the destruction of the northern cod and other environmental disasters that we have gone through in this province, that a Newfoundland company, Fortis, is now proposing to build a dam in one of Central America’s very last undisturbed tropical floodplain habitats. Stan Marshall, president of Fortis, has answered critics of the Chalillo dam by comparing them to Greenpeace. For too long in this province the word “Greenpeace” has been used as a smokescreen to cover up environmentally unsound developments. He has also publicly stated that his only responsibility is to make money for his shareholders. No corporate leader could more clearly make the case for even more stringent legal controls over new developments. On the other hand, it bodes very poorly for the future of our species and the ecosystem of this planet.

Owen Myers
St. John’s, Newfoundland