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Even though an oil spill does not seem likely to happen here in our waters especially after the oil moratorium was signed, Chief Environmental Officer Martin Alegria says the plan is still a necessity for Belize, even if we are not the ones that start the spill.

Sahar Vasquez, reporter
"I know Belize has kind of exhausted a lot of its oil options why is a contingency plan necessary at this time?"

Martin Alegria, Department of Environment/Chief Environmental Officer
"Well, a contingency plan to address oil spill has been there since 1996. We updated it in 2001, 2003 with the assistance of CDEA Caribbean agency. With time things change development occurs and technology changes. We saw the need in 2014 to update this National Oil Spill response."

"6 months or so we contracted the current Polaris applied science as the winning bid and they started working six months ago on this draft we are presenting today."

Sahar Vasquez
"So tell us a little bit about this draft."

Martin Alegria, Department of Environment/Chief Environmental Officer
"The draft is basically looking at various issues. One is the risk assessment trying to find out what is the risk of oil spill response or on an oil spill in general here in Belize. Both terrestrial like I said and marine more so. Risks from what could happen. We are also doing sensitivity mapping. We are looking what is out there ecologically critical for us to concentrate on saving or avoiding impact from oil spills."

"We are preparing for any eventuality that may happen with or without the moratorium because we need to be prepared for whatever happens out there in the marine or the terrestrial environment."

The meeting ends tomorrow.