Letter of the Day | Do not compromise environment protection over meagre profits
Published:Saturday | November 14, 2020 | 12:07 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
“Jamaica, land we love”. So we say but may never really mean.
The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) published in their manifesto several sections dedicated to the environment, including a commitment to transforming the management of biodiversity and protected areas. Unfortunately, we Jamaicans are all to familiar with failed promises by people who are unconscionable in their desire for votes and power, masked by their so-called wanting to “serve the people”. Environmentalist Diana McCaulay brought to the public’s attention via Twitter that an appeal to permit quarrying at the Dry Harbour Mountain was upheld in contravention of the provisions of the St Ann Development Order and original denial of permission by NEPA.
According to McCaulay, the area is not a designated quarry zone, a “quarry of this intended nature, size, scale and intensity will have a deleterious (harmful) effect on the environment and the impact and loss of biodiversity and natural resources in an area of environmental significance and unique biodiversity is irreplaceable”. Her assertion combined with NEPA’s initial denial of a permit should give caution, warning and evidence enough for the invaluable protection needed for the area.
It was later reported in The Gleaner that it was Minister Leslie Campbell who overturned the denial of an environmental permit. This misguided decision was taken in spite of several pieces of legislation, pleas and objections from residents and extensive arguments by the agencies tasked with protecting the biodiversity of our “beloved” nation. The same biodiversity which the JLP has promised to positively transform management of which is now in jeopardy of being lost forever, with the only compensation being a J$40 million environmental performance bond which “may be applied to mitigate environmental damage and restore any natural resources impacted”.
How can this bond, or any jobs created, or tax revenue collected restore that which has been deemed irreplaceable? How can a value be ascribed to something that is invaluable? How can a minister or any official in good conscience approve such a bid to eviscerate our already rapidly decreasing biodiversity and natural habitat for rare and endemic flora and fauna, including the boa? How can the governing party preach so consistently about environmental protection and sustainable development but evidently endorse the exact opposite? How can we as citizens trust them to be different when they have been more of the same? No different from the crown selling lands to slave owning planters with no care for the environment or people but for profit.
When will the Government actually commit to “positively transforming the management of biodiversity and protected areas” – (taken directly from their manifesto)? If by some chance the Prime Minister does address the issue and does say his government is committed to our environmental protection, it would be dutiful of journalists to ask him how sincere his commitment is when the new ministry overseeing the environment, headed by Pearnel Charles Jr does not include NEPA, which remains under the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, perhaps fittingly so, given the penchant for monetizing our environment.
I urge the PM and the relevant ministers to rescind the approval and to adhere to the advice and caution of the agencies that are actually working to protect us and the environment, not to ignore and overrule them for the sake of profits and “jobs, jobs, jobs”.
NOEL YOUNG