A bathymetric study or survey is to be undertaken before any dredging can commence south of Argyle Airport for materials to be used in the construction of the modern port in Kingstown.
A bathymetric survey measures the depth of a water body as well as maps the underwater features of a water body. Multiple methods can be used for bathymetric surveys, including multi-beam and single-beam surveys, ADCPs, sub-bottom profilers, and the Ecomapper Autonomous Underwater Vehicle.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said on WEFM’s “Issue at Hand” program that the government and Aecon have reached an agreement on environmental issues related to the bathymetric study and the independent scientific confirmation.
“Once we have that sorted out and the actual dredging has to begin upon a successful completion of that survey, we will have independent monitors on site with their dredging so that we will make sure that the biodiversity is not affected.”
“The material that’s coming off the top, there’s a bank there, so you’re not going down to the bottom of the sea, so to speak, and the photographic evidence has shown that you don’t have any coral or any grass or anything like that, but we have to make sure that what the bathymetric survey is going to do is deal with the extent of the wave action and so forth.”
“The local scientists who are advising us and their own scientists seem convinced about the proxy data, but I didn’t want proxy data.” “We have a $1.4 billion airport there, and I want to be sure that no wave action is going to affect our revetments out there or similarly down at Brighton Beach,” Gonsalves said.
As for how long it will take for the area to be dredged to recover, Gonsalves said he was told it could take anywhere from two to four years, or even a few more years beyond four.
Gonsalves said on Sunday that Aecon has agreed to pay $20 million for the material. The original number was $1 million, he said.
The bathymetric survey is expected to take two weeks to be completed, or before any dredging can take place, Gonsalves said.
