On Monday afternoon, all work at the Vaca Dam construction site in the Cayo district was shut down by the department of the environment. 500 employees – 350 of them Belizean were sent home on the understanding that they only get paid for days that they worked: no work, no pay.

The DOE issued the stop order after it found that the Chinese subcontractor working on the site had consistently failed to maintain standards as set out in the environmental compliance plan – particularly as regarded the disposal of fecal waste.

Well, a late evening release from BECOL reports that today, the Department of Environment lifted its stop order. The DOE has reviewed a plan, which outlines measures to immediately address the specific concerns of the Department. Construction will recommence at the Vaca site immediately.

The entire Environmental Compliance Plan (ECP) for the Vaca Hydroelectric Facility has about 200 commitments.