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The National Environment and
Planning Agency (NEPA) is currently conducting an investigation into
allegations about the dumping of waste oils illegally in Ironshore,
Montego Bay. On Friday, December 14, NEPA received reports that oil
had been dumped near a wetland area in the second city.
NEPA initiated a response through
the Montego Bay Marine Park which was asked to contact the Office of
Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), the Marine
Police and Coast Guard and asked for their assistance. The ODPEM with
assistance from the Marine Park responded and contained the spill and
are now doing a clean up of the area.
NEPA conducted follow-ups at the
site on Saturday and is convinced that the spill was caused by unknown
person/s. The oil was deposited along the side of the North Coast
Highway in the vicinity of the Blue Diamond complex. It made its way
to the marine environment via the drainage system of the old main road
and through nearby wetlands.
Fortunately, the oil has not been
widely dispersed into the marine environment. It has been contained in
a man-made channel. Expectations are that the environmental fallout
will not be catastrophic, once clean up is complete.
NEPA is presently continuing its
investigations along with the assistance of the Island Special
Constabulary Force (ISCF), in an attempt to determine the culprits
responsible for this disaster. Members of the public who are in
possession of information in relation to this activity are invited to
contact NEPA at: 754-7540, or our Hotline at: 1-888-991-5005, the
nearest police station or 119.
NEPA would like to remind the
public that it is the principal regulatory Agency for the management,
treatment and disposal of fats, oils and grease (FOGs) but acts in
collaboration with other stakeholder regulatory agencies to educate
industry players by guiding them on environmentally acceptable
management of FOGs.
The Ministry of Health has
developed guidelines for the transportation of septage including FOGs
with the involvement of the stakeholders. It is currently drafting
regulations to license the septage service providers. The Natural
Resources Conservation Authority’s Permits and Licences Regulations
(1996) require a permit for the construction, operation, maintenance
and modification of waste treatment facilities.
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