Temporary Quarrying Halt Recommended for Wag Water River in St. Mary

Commissioner of Mines, Roy Nicholson, will be recommending a temporary halt to quarrying activities along a section of the Wag Water River in St. Mary, citing insufficient material for extraction.

The proposed suspension, covering the area from Devon Pen to the Westmoreland Bridge, is intended to allow for natural replenishment following reports of illegal quarrying.

“The team from the Mines and Geology Division [in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining] is actually doing some assessment of this river… and what we have observed is very little or no sand in the river for any form of quarrying,” Mr. Nicholson stated.

“I’m going to make… a recommendation that no quarrying takes place for, maybe, another year [to] ensure that the area is satisfactorily replenished,” he told JIS News.

The Commissioner added that this measure will also put an end to allegations of illegal quarrying in the area.

Mr. Nicholson cautioned that individuals failing to comply with the directive will face legal consequences.

“They certainly will be dealing with the hands of the law,” he informed, adding “we are going to ask the police to help us.”

Mr. Nicholson also noted that assessments conducted by the Mines and Geology Division confirmed that no mining activity is taking place within the stipulated 250 metre radius of the bridge.

“That was a stipulation that was given to the [Division] and the Quarries Advisory Committee (QAC) from [the] NWA (National Works Agency),” he informed.

The Commissioner further indicated that Jamaica Aggregates remains the only licensed operator in the area but is not currently conducting operations “considering that there is little or no material there”.

Looking ahead, Mr. Nicholson said discussions will be held with the NWA to address concerns regarding the condition of the Westmoreland Bridge and surrounding infrastructure.

Meanwhile, QAC Chairman, Hugh Gentles, said the site visit was prompted by complaints about the structure.

“We were responding to complaints that we had received about the integrity of the Westmorland Bridge. We thought it was incumbent on the committee… to come and take a look… to see just how serious an issue it was and if, indeed, mining was contributing to endangering the safety of the bridge,” he stated.