Riverton Not On Fire

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is advising that the Riverton City Disposal Site is not on fire.

Chief Executive Officer at NEPA, Peter Knight, told JIS News that a blaze started earlier this morning (April 13) at a private tyre shop adjacent to the disposal site that is unrelated to the National Solid Waste Management (NSWMA)-run facility.

“It is not the disposal site that is on fire,” he said.

Mr. Knight, who spoke to JIS News following a multi-agency consultation, which included Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Robert Pickersgill, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (OPPEM), and the NSWMA, said it appears that the fire was “deliberately set”.

He said that NEPA is “very concerned” about the health risks emanating from the tyre shop, which involves persons securing and storing tyres.

“It is a business that they are into; sometimes they burn tyres to reap the metal. Burning from tyres presents particular health risks, separate from the environmental issues,” the NEPA head pointed out.

He said the agency’s officers have looked into the operations, and have recommended that regulations be put in place to stop the activity.

Meanwhile, firefighters are working to have the fire extinguished as soon as possible.

“We have three units out on the scene right now,” said Public Relations Officer at the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), Emeleo Ebanks.

“We are trying to get it under control so that we can make a proper assessment to further decide from there, whether or not we need additional resources,” he told JIS News.

The JFB will keep the public updated on the progress of the operations.