Following reports in the media, the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is providing additional details on the implementation of the Kingston Harbour Waste Management Programme which is geared towards protecting and preserving the Kingston Harbour by addressing the illegal dumping of all types of waste.

The programme began last October following a series of meetings between the Agency and operators of enterprises located along the rim of the Harbour that were identified as posing a risk to the water quality. The initiative will also cover those St. Catherine based facilities which discharge their waste into the Rio Cobre River.

To date, 40 companies operating along the Kingston Harbour rim have been assessed as part of the programme. The Agency has served eight Breach Notices and two Enforcement Notices on ten companies requiring each to take immediate remedial action to comply with environmental standards.

The Initiative is being implemented in four phases:

•  Phase 1: Preliminary Review of existing information on Kingston
  Harbour (September 2009) - Completed
   

• Phase 2: Assessment of Private sector entities and follow-up
  Actions (October & November 2009)-Ongoing
   

• Phase 3: Addressing impacts of Public sector stakeholders (March
  2010) -Ongoing
   

• Phase 4: Remediation of Kingston Harbour, as of March 2010-On Schedule

In the implementation of this Initiative, NEPA has been:

1. Assessing the status of compliance for facilities issued with Environmental Permits from the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA). This included a review of the status of reports as required by the Permits, such as monitoring and pollution incident reports. Done

2.  Identifying environmental breaches, adherence to industry best practices and/or Permit conditions; testing of effluent; checking the efficacy of the storage of hazardous (toxic) material/wastes. Ongoing

3.  Highlighting areas of non-compliance detected at the facilities for follow-up action. Ongoing

4. Taking Enforcement action, where necessary, for those facilities which
   generate discharges. Ongoing

5. Identifying facilities that operate without an Environmental Permit or Licence
   in order to bring them under regulatory control. Ongoing

NEPA will continue to monitor these facilities to ensure that all breaches detected during site visits are addressed. Environmental standards will be maintained through the promotion of monthly self-monitoring activities with the Agency conducting verification monitoring activities on a quarterly basis.

The Agency has also initiated discussions with the public sector entities that impact on the Harbour. Meetings have been completed or have been scheduled with the National Solid Waste Management Authority, National Water Commission, the St. Catherine Parish Council, the National Works Agency and the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation along with the Ministry of Agriculture