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ACRE Dredging has been on Ambergris Caye conducting dredging on two dredging permits for many years. Of recent, their operation has come under sustained criticisms in both the local press and social media to the point that they are moving ahead with taking legal actions for defamatory statements made against them. One of the business partners invited members of the press last week to look at their operations. Our San Pedro Correspondent Jorge Aldana has the details in the following report.

Jorge Aldana, San Pedro Correspondent: These heavy machinery giving year round maintenance to the over 7 miles of the Southern road on Ambergris Caye is part of the contractual agreement made with Acre Dredging Company on Ambergris Caye with the San Pedro Town Council. In addition they also provide constant donation for filling to the schools as well as 10% of all dredging material is given to the municipality for the use of the dredging permits. Those materials are used for the regular maintenance of other streets on the island. For the local authorities it is a major help to the municipality especially in light that in the absence of those mechanisms the local authority would be forced to purchase materials and pay for regular maintenance of those streets. But with all that Acre Dredging Company says that they have been under constant target by a few part time residents who they say are defaming their credibility. Carlos Jex is one of the business partners of Acre Dredging Company and said that their company has had enough of those misinformation.

Carlos Jex, Acre Dredging: “First when we set up shop there to start dredging we were adjacent to their property and we had gotten their consent and permission via letter they signed in agreement for us to dredge. The agreement entailed that we would be compensating them by filling their land free of cost which we did in a time of probably one month we filled their properties and they were happy with it and we continued doing our dredging. Eventually after a couple months they decided they wanted us out of there. They said that we were making too much noise and we were destroying the seabed around their property, around their piers which is not true- we were all the way out probably forty feet out dredging, we were not allowed to come close to the pier and so all this was not true. We have always maintained silt curtain, always. Damaging of pier, again that is not true we were not even close to their pier there is no way we could have damaged their pier so I don’t know where they get that kind of information from as to why they would make any kind of allegation like that. Again these people do not reside here, they do six months in Belize and six months back home. We have over thirty people working for us, we have these people they have to survive and this company that we work for has to provide for these families. So like I said why they would want to make those allegations against us seeing that they had already gotten what they wanted from us now they will prefer to see us leave. “

Jorge Aldana, San Pedro Correspondent: According to Jex, annually their donation to the town amounts to over $200,000.

Carlos Jex, Acre Dredging: “The town benefits from our company. If you look right now we have invested over $200,000 in the southern road to fix the road, that road had never ever over seven or eight years that we have traversed that orad we have never seen that road the way it is today and that is at our expense over $20,000 we have invested into that road. We have brought all our heavy equipment and done and maintained the road, every two to three weeks we have maintained that road with our graders and rollers so most everybody that live down south are very happy with what we have done so like I said there are only two to three people that are making all these fuss about our dredging operation down south.”

Jorge Aldana, San Pedro Correspondent: Acre Dredging Company has indicated that if the defamation against their company continues they will be taking legal recourse.

LOVEFM

Myself and many of our neighbors are happy to have them maintaining our roads and supporting our South community.

Apparently we are one of the two or three people Carlos is talking about. There are many references in this statement that are untrue and would like them to be known.
1. When we signed the papers stating we would have no problem with the dredging, we were told it would be for three months and the sand was going to the town.(the time frame was however left out of the document, as we took them for their word) Not smart on our part as we later found out.
2. I don't know who got free sand, because I have cashed checks to prove we paid $12,000.00 U.S. to fill our property.
3, We also paid over $20,000,00 U.S. for a road to be built on our property (that has been used by this company since it was built)
4. Our neighbors pier was hit by the barge and there are pictures to prove it.
5. It wasn't a few months later we wanted them to move the dredge, it was after a year, then two and then three.
6. The road was originally put in and paid for by ourselves and residents living there, aprox. 17 years ago. (from Hol Chan Resort to 4.7 miles South) These big trucks are the one's ruining the road and should be fixed by their company).

We had no problem with the dredge being there for three months. As I told Mr. Heredia, when he visited the site (prior to the pumper being brought in) we knew the Town needed the sand and were happy they were getting it.

Seems like someone is lying through their teeth? I wonder who?

Wow, sounds like a history of neighborly agreement gone bad.... Sorry to hear this Kathyw..... However, from those of us who live here year round through the bad weather and poor road conditions we are happy to have them here. Sorry, you can't work this out with them.

Judyann,

We first had a verbal agreement to dredge for 3 months so the Town could get sand. A week later they brought over a consent form to sign, it said we had no objections to them dredging next to us. The start and end date were somehow left out as well as not mentioning they were bringing in a booster pump. I really don't know if that was a neighborly oversight or ? Since we thought the sand was for the Town (not personal projects) we signed. Had all this sand (thousands of truckloads) gone to the Town, there wouldn't be a pothole left on the entire island.

I do have copies of cashed checks for $12,000,00 U.S. for sand fill, they said they gave to us free. ( I will bring these for Carlos and anyone else to see) Apparently the partners don't talk to each other.

We have pictures of the barge hitting the pier and also have pictures of the dredge anchored to the pier. If you go down to our property, you can see where they have dredged 10' from shore and 10' deep. (that's sure closer than the 40' they stated) We have documentation and pictures of everything.

I realize we're not there year round, however the 5 months we're there, we would really like to enjoy our home. (like we had the 19 years prior to the dredge) With both the dredge and booster pumper going, you can't hear each other talk in the house (with the windows closed) Its non stop everyday from 8 until 5. We agreed to have this for 3 months not 3 years. Our neighbor lives there full time and has had to put up with this continuous noise for the 3 years.

Just because we don't live there year round doesn't mean we shouldn't enjoy our place as you and others do.

The permit ends on Dec.31, 2019 for that dredge site. Hopefully this is the end to the story and we all move on.

Kathy



Hopefully your endeavor with them works out great.

I am Kathy's neighbor, I have lived here full time for 19 years. The reason I had not replied days ago is because I had tried to get Jorge Aldana of Love FM and the San Pedro Sun to post a rebuttal. Both has not responded to phone or email. I had even met with Carlos yesterday to give him the benefit of the doubt.
I remember signing a letter for Flynt. I recall it being for a six month term there was no mention in the letter for any "free sand". He was to bring me back a completed copy by never did. I have paid dearly for every single yard of sand put on my property.
We were always concerned with the proximity of the dredging. My pier was damaged by the dredge. I have pictures of the dredge within 2 feet of my pier and it's exhaust line touching the pier. The water depth at the end of the pier was 4 1/2 feet deep now it is over 8 feet. The biggest concern is the sea grass, small coral heads in the area and the thousands of immature conch that are being destroyed.
The silt curtain he says was always there, was only installed after the Mining Unit of Belize caught them after an inspection for a period of several weeks. That was over 2 years ago. Recently after another inspection they installed another curtain which is in place now. Again I have pictures of the sand plume showing no curtain in place.
The road maintenance is better but certainly not maintained every 2-3 weeks. The many trucks of Flynt's are ones doing damage to the road, golf carts do no damage. A big concern is the speed and safety of the trucks, recently a truck coming too fast hit a power pole coming around the corner. The pole was not moving.
Recently because of the higher tides and the amount of sand on Flynt's property, the dredging has caused flooding at the rear of our properties. This has happened in the past with heavy rains but has always dissipated quickly, no longer so.
The noise has become unbearable because of the location of the booster pump. Actually it is louder than the dredge because it is closer to shore.
Judy Ann and Tom are good friends but they can not give an honest opinion because they sold their restaurant and are working for Flynt now.

So sorry this issue continues for you... Yes, we have sold the restaurant to the Salt Life Corporation, however we began supporting this group long before they approached us on the idea of a partnership....

They won us over about three years ago when they finished the road to Marco Gonzales for our Annual Mayan Blessing. Along with many other donated loads of sand and gravel so that our staff can leave their neighborhoods in San Pedrito and San Mateo. Again let's try to work this out offline, at this point none of us are being productive....