Belmopan. February 19th, 2018. The Department of the Environment (DOE) has been working in conjunction with the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) in ensuring that existing and new hotel facilities are compliant with the environmental laws of Belize, particularly in obtaining environmental clearance. For the BTB, this is a pre-requisite for the renewal of the hotel license.
In an effort to streamline this process, the DOE has developed a tailored Environmental Checklist to facilitate the Environmental Screening Process of hotels. This checklist includes a standardized processing fee and a list of requirements which are mandatory for the processing of an application for environmental clearance. A copy of the checklist can be found at http://www.doe.gov.bz/index.php/services/checklists/category/37-checklists-for-developers
The DOE takes this opportunity to encourage owners of existing hotels that have not yet obtained environmental clearance to complete the environmental checklist and submit the necessary information and proof of payment to the DOE for processing. As part of the process, the DOE is required to conduct a site inspection once all required documentation is submitted and reviewed.
The applicant will be duly informed of the date of the site inspection and the procedures thereafter. Hotel owners are encouraged to contact the DOE at 822-2819 or 828-4845, or at eiaunit@environment.gov.bz if there are any query regarding the requirements or process.
