JET urges PM to reverse mining permit
Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) yesterday said it was disturbed by a decision to overturn the denial of a mining permit in a vital natural resource on Jamaica’s north coast and urged Prime Minister Andrew Holness to reverse what it described as “misuse of ministerial discretion”.
The environmental lobby made the call after The Gleaner yesterday reported that Leslie Campbell, the then minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, had, in July, overturned a decision by a State watchdog not to allow mining and quarrying at Dry Harbour Mountain in Discovery Bay, St Ann.
The decision was made in favour of Bengal Development Limited/Jamaica World LLC, which was denied an environmental permit on May 8.
Yesterday, JET said the decision to deny the permit was made by the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) and the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) based on solid and substantiated reasons, including:
1. The proposed development is contrary and not in keeping with the provisions of the St Ann Confirmed Development Order, 2000.
2. The area is not a designated quarry zone.
3. A quarry of this nature, size, scale and intensity will have a deleterious effect on the environment in general and the surrounding uses including impact and loss of biodiversity and natural resources, and impact on underground hydrology.
4. The development will exacerbate the air quality impacts on the air shed. Also, the development may have a deleterious impact on public health particularly from dust and noise generation.
5. The unprecedented number of objections from residents and stakeholders.
6. The comments from key partner, the Forestry Department, that while the environmental impact assessment “explores the impact of the quarrying operations, it does not propose feasible and effective mitigation measures geared towards minimising the overall negative impact of the quarry on the forested areas”.
According to JET, it has long raised concerns about the provision in the NRCA Act, and many of the country’s laws, that allow for a minister to overturn the decisions of a technical agency.
The lobby also said there is now a lack of clarity as to who the environmental minister is, as despite there being a new ministry which includes ‘environment and climate change’ in the title, led by Pearnel Charles Jr, NEPA remains at the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, whose minister is the prime minister.
“We further understand environmental functions are spread across the two ministries, which will no doubt lead to even greater regulatory incoherence,” JET said in a news release.
“I have seen the environmental ministry move many times from place to place since the passing of the NRCA Act in 1991, to the point where it has been labelled the ‘Pilgrim’ ministry,” the release quotes JET Director Diana McCaulay. “This refusal to place priority on environmental protection over almost 30 years, by both administrations, speaks volumes about their sincerity and real intentions. Given the reality of the climate crisis, which Jamaica is already facing, we cannot continue with these short-sighted approaches.”