Even before the advent of the Montserrat’s Soufriere Hills Volcanic Eruption in 1995, the Government of Montserrat has discussed the possibility of establishing Geothermal Power on Montserrat.
(CAUSING MUCH NEEDED DEVELOPMENT; INDUSTRIES; JOBSt; JOBS; LESS PRESSURE.)
Previous Chief Ministers, have actually sent several Montserratians overseas to study the harnessing of Geothermal Power.
I do not want to hazard the thoughts that those individuals had when they saw the sheer size of those Geothermal Plants that made them feel that, something like this could NOT be established in our little Montserrat, and SHUT THE DOOR on any possible idea of this being done on Montserrat! (Please note: those plants were Large Steam driven plants, and NOT Binary plants).
The New Governor A. Davis, commented publically that he was working on getting the drilling started within the next few months, and the process was well underway for applying from England’s “The Green Fund”, and that it was not DFID’s money that would be spent to drill the holes for Geothermal.
Then within a few hours time, our present Chief Minister Reuben Meade publically came on ZJB Radio, saying that the Governor does not know how things work down here in Montserrat; and that these things take years – about 5 years and that the papers had just ‘went out to DFID that day’
Now in the recent Debates in the House, there is an occasional BANTER on the possibility of Geothermal Power being established, then the subject is quickly slid to one side, and the subject skillfully changed!
Both DFID, ihe Governor, senior visiting DFID Officials have PUBLICLY said that they will do everything in their power, to get the development of Montserrat, going once again. Yet, we hear of more and more Studies, being done, and more Consultants being brought in to advise us. Yet we are no better off after they leave Montserrat than before they came here. NOTHING BUT A TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY! Yet some will say, it’s NOT our money. Well let me say this, IT IS OUR MONEY. That money was allotted to Montserrat’s development, and the British Government is sick and tired of throwing good money behind bad.
Now the latest/recent Development is SAND MINING! We yet now have MORE STUDIES, and Consultants, and Yet there is still no development on MONTSERRAT.
I am writting this article, to ask WHY? WHY on a BRITISH DEPENDANT ISLAND or BRITISH OVERSEAS TERRITORY of 39+ square miles, with a population of 5,000 (+ -) that after almost ONE(1) BILLION BRITISH POUNDS BEING SPENT.. later..:- We STILL.. DO NOT HAVE A CAPITAL or TOWN; ANY MAJOR CAPITAL INDUSTRY; A SAFE GUARANTEED ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY; A SAFE SEAPORT; A LARGE ENOUGH AIRPORT; and any… JOBS; JOBSt; JOBS? W hear, soon come; next week; next montht; next year! or in Five (5) Years time?
I ask WHY? WHY? WHY?
Captain John Howe
