Santander responds to Belize River fish kill, says factory does not routinely discharge process water into river

By Breaking Belize News Staff: The Santander Sugar Group (SSG) has issued a statement amid concerns over the recent loss of aquatic life in the Belize River Valley, saying it is cooperating fully with an ongoing investigation by the Department of the Environment (DoE) and other government agencies.

In a statement issued Friday, August 7, Santander said it is “deeply saddened” by the reported loss of aquatic life and has granted authorities unrestricted access to its facilities and operations. The company did not accept responsibility for the fish kill, and said it welcomes the completion of the government’s investigation.

Santander said its processing facility operates as a closed-loop system in which process water is recovered, cooled where necessary and reused. According to the company, there is no continuous process effluent stream or routine discharge of high-temperature process water from its factory into the Belize River.

The company also stressed that its canals are not connected to Labouring Creek and said its operations account for approximately 12 percent of the agricultural land within the broader watershed.

Santander has faced environmental scrutiny in the past. In 2012, the company’s development was linked to the dredging of a large canal through the Labouring Creek Jaguar Corridor Wildlife Sanctuary, and in 2016 government authorities cited Santander for breaches of its Environmental Compliance Plan following investigations into activities affecting environmentally sensitive areas.

The present investigation, however, remains ongoing, and authorities have not publicly established that Santander caused the reported aquatic deaths. Santander says it will review any findings and recommendations issued by regulators and remains committed to environmental compliance and protection of the Belize River watershed.

The post Santander responds to Belize River fish kill, says factory does not routinely discharge process water into river appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.