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EIA & EMP Guidelines

Pre-Approval Process Requirements for Environmental Firms

All foreign companies seeking to provide environmental services in The Commonwealth of The Bahamas are required to have the following prior to commencing any related activities leading to the development of an EIA, EMP or any environmental document for review:
  1. Local Business License
  2. VAT Compliance Certificate
  3. Liability Insurance
  4. Submission of the educational background and professional expertise of all persons identified to be involved in the development of the document/s
  5. Work Permits for all persons involved in the production of the document/s
  6. Engagement letter from the project proponent or their legal representative

 

All local companies seeking to provide EIA or EMP services require pre-approval by DEPP. All local firms must submit the following:
  1. Current Business License
  2. Vat Compliance Certificate
  3. Liability Insurance
  4. Valid work permits for all foreign persons involved in the production of the document/s
  5. Submission of the educational background and professional expertise of all persons identified to be involved in the development/s
  6. Engagement letter from the project proponent or their legal representative

All firms are required to submit items 1-3 on an annual basis and items 4-6 for each project.

Document Submissions

All submissions to DEPP must meet the following criteria:

Each project is required to submit 1 digital copy and a minimum of 2 hard copies of all documents for review. Compliance with both is necessary for the review process to start. Once both formats are received comments will be provided within 60 business days of receipt.

 

Hard Copy Submission Requirements
  1. All documents must be bound along the spine (not just stapled or binder clipped at the top) this applies to all submissions beyond a letter communication and in excess of 5 pages. The use of the appropriately sized ring binders are acceptable.
  2. All documents must have a cover sheet which acts as a protector for the first set of pages
  3. All document cover sheets must have the name address and contact information of the consultancy along with the project name and the document description (EIA, EMP etc.)
  4. Documents whose cover sheet is of a paper quality are required to have a clear outer cover which is durable
  5. All cover sheets must be of a quality to endure multiple handlings and final storage to file
  6. If using a comb-binding method please ensure that the pages are ALL correctly aligned to prevent damage due to actual use by turning the pages
  7. All pages should be numbered such that reference can be made to the information contained therein
  8. All maps and diagrams should be legible

Please note that documents submitted for review will be returned if the quality of the submission is poor. There will be no exceptions.

 

Digital requirements 

Digital copies can be provided via email, downloadable links, on memory stick or any other storage media. 

Timeline for Review 

All documents submitted require 6 weeks for initial comments to be provided

Please contact DEPP to ensure an approved TOR is developed for the production of an EIA and EMP for your specific development or industrial proposal.

Local Consultants

This is a list of the local consultants that are available to BEST Commission.

View Directory

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

& Environmental Management Plan (EMP) Documents

 

The following EIAs and EMPs are provided in Adobe PDF format for viewing or download:

Please note that the documents are also available for viewing at the offices of DEPP.