Less than two weeks ago, someone set fire to boat moulds owned by Bradley’s Boat Yard, previously located in Belize City. It relocated some time ago to a property off the Burrell Boom-Hattieville Road just outside Burrell Boom village. But the move has raised the ire of villagers, who are already complaining that work being done at the boat yard is literally making them sick. News Five’s Aaron Humes got both sides of the story on Saturday.
Aaron Humes, Reporting
If the residents of Burrell Boom, particularly long-timer Lincoln Gillett, had their way, the answer to having Bradley’s Boat Yard in operation in their village would be a resounding no.
Lincoln Gillett, Burrell Boom Resident
“I am not in agreement with that activity, because there was some boat works there many years ago, and finally the Jamaican guy who was there trying to establish this decided that [there was] too much opposition. But they had a right because one: in this village, they could be down there as the wind shifts, and I live upwind form it and I still smell the residue. And I am allergic to anything that has to do with that kind of fiber glass activity – the smell.”
Reporter
“And how far you live from it?”
Lincoln Gillett
“Not very far; I’d say about three hundred yards, but the wind shifts.”
Reporter
“And there are people who live closer than you to the development?”
Lincoln Gillett
“As a matter of fact I have one of my dear elder friends; she has a problem with her lungs and it affects her, but she doesn’t have a voice. As I say she’s my dear friend, and many times my concern is about what happens to her. If you say, well, she’s on her way out anyway – no, that’s not it. The bottom line is that it shouldn’t be there; we have land all over and if you wanted to do something of that nature, do it not on the periphery; do it on the outskirts.”
Village chair Erlene Baptist-Pandy says similar concerns have been expressed at a village meeting but for now there is no actual activity going on.
Erlene Baptist-Pandy, Chair, Burrell Boom Village Council
“They had a meeting; I wasn’t here, I was in the States. They had a meeting so I don’t know what came out of it; all I heard was that thre was chaos at the meeting, that’s all I heard. We are still waiting on D.O.E. to see what they are going to do with Mr. Bradley and his boat property.”
Reporter
“I understand that he doesn’t have official clearance from them to go through?”
Erlene Baptist-Pandy
“But Mr. Bradley is not doing anything; he’s not doing any sort of work on his boat – he’s just bringing them up and putting up his building; there’s nothing going on.”
Reporter
“So it would seem strange that if he’s not doing any work, people would just come and burn his…?”
Erlene Baptist-Pandy
“Exactly. It’s just a few people, it’s not the entire Burrell Boom village – it’s just the people as a matter of fact, living in front of him, those are the ones that have the problem; one family really have the problem with him.”
Gillett contends that it is not about driving Bradley out of business, but making that business safer for residents of the village.
Lincoln Gillett
“It has to come to an end; they have to find another location for that place. And I’m saying that [not] because I don’t want the man to do business; but do it where you can be safe and the residents and the elder folk especially – you would be surprised to know that next door to where that activity is, one of my friends – he is there, and his wife is also having problems. I am living next door to that and they are living next door…look at that. You’ve got to think about others and I think that in this case, just move it a little out of the way. We have electricity running all over the place. Move it.”
Owner of Bradley’s Boat Yard, Steven Bradley, declined an interview of any kind with News Five when we visited his property in Burrell Boom on Saturday. He did note that he is awaiting a response from the Department of the Environment as to clearance for his work as a popular boat-maker to continue. Aaron Humes reporting for News Five.
Beyond an initial report police and fire department have made no announcements about the progress of the arson investigation.
Channel 5
AmbergrisCaye.com 
Since May, we've been following the story of Bradley's Boat Yard, which recently moved to Burrell Boom. Some residents don't like it - and that became apparent when two of Bradley's boats were set on fire a few weeks ago. Well, today the residents of Burrell Boom held a press conference to clear things up, and tell the public where they stand on the issue...
"And I hope that when we leave from here today and after the viewing public have heard these pleas and call that they will raise the awareness and say to the department of environment and the department of health and to all those concern - no to any fiberglass and we are not targeting specifically Mr. Bradley's Boatyard, but any fiberglass facilities whatsoever within residential area within our country, it is not healthy, it is not good for anyone and I am seeking each and every one of your support for it."
"Research has shown that workers in fiberglass facilities who were wearing the proper gear has suffered from plural diseases, lung fibrosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma and in women even ovarian cancer. I am not sure of you are aware, but mesothelioma has been associated to asbestos and fiberglass is predicted to have the same outcome that asbestos has."
"We then checked with DOE to find out that there was no clearance or Bradley had done no request to DOE and then I stated to go to the different entities like DOH, Rural Development DAVCO. We also spoke to the chairlady of the village council whereby she stated that she was send by some individual and she has to do what she has to do. I therefore started to go Belmopan and lobbied with the different entities. I met with them, spoke with them and as of now, nothing has, no clearance has been given to Mr. Bradley, but he has been building rapidly and he has workers coming to his place every day and we are very concern because of the fiberglass."
"We spoke to Mr. Alegria the CEO of DOE and he had been receiving half information about what is going on in Burrell Boom. For example, he was under the information that Mr. Bradley has this boatyard for over a period of time and is just starting to use it. When he was told that this was not the case, he actually purchase land in this year and it was in a residential area and one of the guideline is that fiberglass shouldn't be within 200 yards or 200 feet of the nearest water supply. We have right across from this boatyard - its original name is "Baboon Creek," most people know it as Johnny Pond and this is literally across. We did an online measurement and it stated his location from where it is about 175 feet. That's even less than the barrier it should be."
