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KINGSTON — The Government signed a US$3 million agreement with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) on July 26, which will provide grant funding support for the implementation of a major waste water rehabilitation project across the island. The initiative falls under the Caribbean Regional Fund for Wastewater Management (CReW) in partnership with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), United Nations Environment...

MANDEVILLE — Minister of Housing, Environment and Water, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, says he is satisfied with measures put in place by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) to contain a toxic leak at a gold mine in Pennants, Clarendon, and make the site safe. “I am very happy to know that they (NEPA) were able to put all...

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) — Chairman of the Caribbean Community CARICOM, Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis has called for an immediate halt to the transit of radioactive material through the Caribbean Sea; a practice he said is “unacceptable and injurious." In a statement condemning the practice, Dr. Denzil Douglas said that it...

KINGSTON — Glendevon in Montego Bay, St. James is expected to benefit from two development projects within the next four months, costing over $86 million. The projects will be funded by the Caribbean Development Bank's (CDB) Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF), through the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), and will include construction of the Glendevon Centre of Excellence and rehabilitation...

KINGSTON — The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) will be conducting a National Simulation Exercise (NaSIMEX) from July 19 to 21, to test Jamaica's preparedness for a major disaster or emergency. Being undertaken at a cost of $2.1 million through funding from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the exercise will examine preparedness and readiness to respond...

PORT ANTONIO — The water supply system which serves residents of Carron Hall in St. Mary has been upgraded, and the people will now be able to access more of the commodity. The upgrading was made possible through the collaborative effort of the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica (EFJ), the National Water Commission (NWC), the St. Mary Charities Organisation and the...

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) has completed the preliminary investigations into the reported chemical contamination at an abandoned site at Pennants, Clarendon which was used for a gold mining operation. The following are major findings of the investigation. • A leak from a container at the site was identified. • The container was enclosed on site by berms,...

MONTEGO BAY — The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), says it will be working with local government authorities to address flooding in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland and Black River, St. Elizabeth. The move comes against the background of a study, which identified flooding as the primary hazard in the coastal towns. The study, done by a consulting firm, Smith...

MANDEVILLE — Some 3,500 residents of six communities in St. Catherine now have regular access to potable water, with the upgrading of the John’s Groin water supply scheme in the parish. Minister of Housing, Environment and Water, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, on Thursday July 7, 2011, commissioned the facility into service, which will serve John’s Groin, Dawkins Bush, Ginger Lane,...

MONTEGO BAY — The second phase of the Spanish Jamaica Foundation (SJF) environmental awareness programme, aimed at safeguarding and promoting a cleaner environment in the city of Montego Bay, was  launched on July 8, 2011,  with the handing over of 10 garbage skips to the Local Authority in that city. The first phase of the programme, which was implemented a...

KINGSTON — As part of its mandate to develop the 'green sector' in an applied way, the Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI) has commissioned its Green Energy Project. The project, developed through sponsorship from the Canada Fund for Local Initiative, is designed to provide low cost solutions to fisherfolk on the Pedro Cays, for keeping fish healthy after catch, while creating...

MANDEVILLE — Minister of Housing, Environment and Water, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, on June 30 commissioned into service the upgraded James Hill Water Supply Scheme in Clarendon, which will serve some 5,000 residents in seven communities. The project, undertaken by the Rural Water Supply Limited at a cost of $30 million, included the laying of some four kilometers of pipelines...