Country’s Natural Environment Will Be Protected – PM

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Government remains resolute in preserving and protecting the country’s natural environment.

He said institutions such as the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) and the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) have been created to act in protection of the environment, while promoting sustainable development.

Speaking at the recent joint meeting of the Senate and House of Representatives, in commemoration of Jamaica’s 60th anniversary of Independence, Mr. Holness said the Administration has also designated several areas as protected areas.

This is in keeping with the country’s target of having 30 per cent of its land mass and 30 per cent of its marine areas protected by 2030, as a member of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, which has set this goal.

“This administration has protected the Cockpit Country. I was in Black River (St. Elizabeth) announcing that the Black River Morass is now a protected area,” he said.

He added, too, that the Pedro Banks Protected Area will be brought to Cabinet soon for approval.

“This would mean that we are probably now very close to 25 per cent of Jamaica being protected. This Administration, in our 60th year, is showing that we must be serious about protecting our environment,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Holness noted that steps will be taken to protect the Rio Cobre and those who depend on it.

“It is unfortunate that during our period of celebration, there was an incident that threatened the environment, our wood and water and the livelihood of those who depend on the Rio Cobre,” he said.

“The environmental protection institution – NEPA – has briefed me and other members of the Government on the event, and they have also briefed me on the steps that they will take to ensure that such a devastating breach does not happen again,” the Prime Minister added.

His comments follow the latest spill of caustic effluent from bauxite and alumina company Windalco into the Rio Cobre in St. Catherine, resulting in a fish kill, which affected several species and also impacted other aquatic organisms.

During the sitting, the Prime Minister disclosed that NEPA intends to serve a Notice of Intention to bring legal action against the company for breaches of the Wildlife Protection Act and the Natural Resources Conservation Act.

“There is the posting of an environmental bond and at the time of my speaking they probably would have already had their press conference and announced their intention to prosecute and to call the bond. That is a sign of their intention to be far more aggressive and forward leaning in their surveillance and in their prosecution and protection of our natural assets,” he said.

The implications of the legal action were explained by NEPA’s Chief Executive Officer, Peter Knight, at a press conference on August 5.

“The serving of the notice of intention to suspend is going to have a significant impact on the operations of the facility. We are not only dealing with the volumes of trade effluent that is being held in the effluent ponds but we’re also dealing with the completion of the effluent pond, the environmental performance bond and the environmental permit that allows the company to undertake mining operations,” Mr. Knight said.