NWC Warns Against Chemical Spills In The Rio Cobre

President of the National Water Commission (NWC), Mark Barnett, is urging mining industries to be mindful of chemical spills into the Rio Cobre River.

He stated that there are still signs of chemical spills in the river, which poses a challenge for supplying 50,000 customers in the Spanish Town, St. Catherine, area with water.

He made the disclosure during a virtual quarterly press briefing held today (Thursday, September 2).

Mr. Barnett stated that the $6.5-million water treatment plant located in Job Lane, Spanish Town, primarily relies on water from the Rio Cobre River.

Against that backdrop, he said once chemical spills occur and raise the potential of hydrogen (pH) in the water, it poses the threat of rendering the plant inoperable.

“We are not saying that persons cannot mine.  What we’re saying is that the adequate environmental consideration must be put in place to mitigate and prevent these types of recurrence,” he noted.

Mr. Barnett also said that the NWC is working closely with the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) to ensure the necessary precautions are in place to manage the spills.