The Mines and Geology Division of the Ministry of Transport and Mining, in response to a Jamaica Observer query about the expansion of prospecting for bauxite in new areas of the Cockpit Country, an area protected under local laws, indicates that permits are for exploration only, not mining.

The response stated, “The Mines and Geology Division of the Ministry of Transport and Mining reaffirms the position of the Government of Jamaica that there will be no mining or any other related activity that could harm the environment in the Cockpit Country Area Proposed for Protection.”

The Jamaica Environmental Trust (JET), in a release last week said it was “dismayed that after the prime minister’s announcement in 2017 of a boundary for the Cockpit Country Protected Area (CCPA) and his promise to close the area mining, the Mines and Geology Division (MGD) has now announced a new special exclusive licence which, at several points, fall within the boundary of the CPPA and includes land belonging to the Accompong Maroons.”

However, the Mines and Geology Division said that the recently published notice for the proposed special exclusive prospecting licence no 643 (SEPL643) in St Elizabeth and the area demarcated by the notice is intended for mineral exploration and not mining.

Further, it was noted, it does not intersect the Cockpit Country Area Proposed for Protection, and does not intersect Maroon lands.

The division said that the increase in acreage indicated under the license related to an area “demarcated for mineral exploration which is the process of systematically searching for minerals, and hence the applicant has applied for a licence to prospect which is being processed”.

Generally, it was noted, “based on the findings of that search process, the boundary of the search area is refined, generally by a reduction, to encompass those areas where the minerals are identified in economic concentrations. For mining to take place, a mining lease would have to be granted. As stated prior, there will be no mining or any other related activity in the Cockpit Country Area Proposed for Protection”.

It was noted, too, that in a map previously presented to the media, “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 into the notice.”

The response concluded, “The Mines and Geology Division of the Ministry of Transport and Mining welcomes anyone seeking clarification on these matters of national interest. We encourage consultation in order to avoid presenting information which could mislead the public. 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.”