KINGSTON, Jamaica— The Mines and Geology Division (MGD) of the Ministry of Transport and Mining, on Tuesday reiterated that there will be no mining or any other related activity that could harm the environment in the Cockpit Country Area Proposed for Protection.

According to a statement from the ministry, the MGD recently published a notice for the proposed Special Exclusive Prospecting Licence no 643 (SEPL643).

The ministry said that the notice declared that JISCO Alpart has applied for a licence to prospect/explore for bauxite in a specific area in northern St Elizabeth and Manchester. The area stated in the notice is intended for mineral exploration and not mining. It does not intersect the Cockpit Country Area Proposed for Protection, or encroach on Maroon lands, the ministry added.

Prospecting is the process of systematically searching for minerals and based on the findings from this process, mining may be contemplated if economic quantities of minerals are found. For mining to take place, a Mining Lease would have to be granted.

In response to a map which was presented to the media by the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) dated November 2, 2021, the MGD sought to clarify that:

1. The boundary demarcating SEPL643 is an imaginary polygon bound by a combination of straight line segments and curves. The straight or curved portions may be defined by a road or some other feature, or even another established imaginary boundary. The notice area is therefore not the shape presented to the media.

2. The corners of an exploration area (such as those presented in the notice) serve as reference points on the perimeter of the polygon to aid in defining the exploration zone. Corners do not always correspond to the intersection of two straight line segments as was indicated on the map in the press release.

3. The corner that appears to cross-cut the Maroon land of Accompong based on the map presented to the media had a numerical discrepancy which was inadvertently reproduced in the notice.

The Division said it now provides a map that presents an accurate illustration of the area in St Elizabeth and Manchester for the proposed SEPL643.

“The Mines and Geology Division welcomes anyone seeking clarification on these matters of national interest and encourages consultation in order to avoid presenting information that could mislead the public,” the statement said.

“The Government of Jamaica remains committed that there will be no mining or any other related activity that could harm the environment in the Cockpit Country Area Proposed for Protection,” it added.