The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is currently conducting an island-wide assessment of the impact of Tropical (T.S.) Storm Nicole on the environment. The Agency is evaluating the planning and environmental issues associated with the damage resulting from the storm.

NEPA’s assessment will be submitted to the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) and is intended to put dollar value on the damage caused by T.S. Nicole to Jamaica’s natural and built environments.

NEPA began its assessments last week Friday (October 1, 2010). So far, the NEPA Team has visited the parishes of Kingston and St. Andrew, St. Catherine, Clarendon and parts of Manchester and other trouble spots which were affected by last week’s heavy rains.

It is expected that the assessments will be completed this week, at which time NEPA will forwarded to its report to the PIOJ for the compilation of its national report on the impacts of T. S. Nicole.