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The National Environment and
Planning Agency, NEPA, is refuting a front page story carried in the
Jamaica Observer newspaper, dated October 2, 2008, under the
headline, “Hotel hit $500,000 a week-Unapproved Breezes
laundry hurting FDR Resorts.” The article concerns a laundry
facility at the Breezes Hotel in Ocho Rios, St. Ann which has
allegedly been causing a severe noise and heat nuisance for guests
at the neighbouring Franklin D Resorts. Quoting an unnamed source,
the article charges that NEPA granted approval for the construction
of the laundry building on August 14, 2008, after the
facility had been constructed. The article states that NEPA was
unaware of the complaints by the FDR when it issued the permit to
build the laundry facility and that the Agency would be ‘doing
inspections to determine whether the complaints were justified.’
The article concludes by saying that NEPA has the option of
‘withdrawing its permit and closing the laundry, if it establishes
that the complaints are legitimate.’
Given the comments from the
Observer’s ‘source’, it would appear that NEPA has
been complicit in breaching environmental and planning laws. The
Agency rejects that inference and takes the opportunity to state the
facts of this specific case:
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The Agency did NOT
grant any approval to the Breezes Hotel for the construction of
a laundry building. NEPA is not responsible for the granting of
building approval; the authority for this rests with the local
Planning Authority which in this case is the St. Ann Parish
Council. What the Agency did grant approval for was an
Environmental Permit and Licence for the construction and
operation of a Waste Water Treatment Facility
(reference number 2008-06017-EP00129) at the Breezes Hotel.
That approval was granted on July 15, 2008.
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The laundry facility is
part of the Breezes Hotel development which was approved by the
Parish Council. Hence, NEPA can in no way be accused of granting
such an approval; it is the responsibility of the Parish council
to do so.
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NEPA is not undertaking any
investigation to determine whether the permit for the
Waste Water Treatment Facility at the Breezes Hotel
should be withdrawn. Prior to the publication of the Observer’s
article we were not made aware of any complaints concerning
waste water disposal at the location.
The Agency is reassuring the
public that it takes seriously its responsibility to ensure that the
country’s environmental and planning laws are adhered to and
respected.
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