Letter of the Day | Gov’t response to Rio Cobre pollution not good enough

THE EDITOR, Sir:

We welcome the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation’s statement issued on November 9 outlining the Government of Jamaica’s (GOJ) response to the most recent Rio Cobre pollution event (July 26-August 4). Having conducted an initial review, we recognise the significance of the actions outlined, but we state our concerns below:

•The Rio Cobre has been degraded by toxic discharges from WINDALCO’s Effluent Holding Pond for several decades, and there has been no effective sanction or deterrence until now. The proposed compensation package of $115,733,803.13 gives clear priority to three state agencies – the National Water Commission, the National Irrigation Commission and the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA).

•Just under $40 million has been allocated to NEPA to carry out (a) an ecological assessment of the Rio Cobre; (b) A natural resources valuation of the river; and (c) oversight of Windalco’s remediation programme. These activities are part of NEPA’s regular mandate and the two studies should have been done long ago. In effect, NEPA is being compensated for its failure to do its job.

•The proposed compensation of $16 million to fishers in the first instance is inadequate, arbitrary, unfair and cannot be accepted. Fishers have been affected far beyond the 10 days used to calculate the payments. They have not yet regained their livelihoods more than three months after the massive fishkill. The lack of registration as fishers cannot be used as a means to exclude any of them from compensation, as there was no previous requirement for registration. Despite the long-standing nature of the problem, there has been no meaningful effort by state agencies to establish a registration scheme for the fishers of the Rio Cobre.

•The environmental performance bond was grossly deficient with regard to amount, scope and compensation mechanisms; and there has also been a disgraceful lack of transparency as to its terms and conditions.

•According to the GOJ’s statement, the shortfall of $107 million is to be “addressed through legal channels to hold WINDALCO accountable, and with upcoming budgetary allocations”. This is vague and needs further clarity.

We call for the compensation package to be urgently revised to give top priority to compensation for the affected fishers. We insist that there should be much greater transparency regarding how such compensation is calculated, the terms and conditions of the performance bond, and the legal channels to be used to hold WINDALCO accountable. Our review continues.

MALENE ALLYENE

Freedom Imaginaries

KESTONARD GORDON

Friends of Rio Cobre

MICKEL JACKSON

Jamaicans for Justice

DIANA MCCAULAY

The Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) Founder

THERESA RODRIGUEZ-MOODIE

JET