Since January 2020, thirty-seven companies and individuals have been brought before parish courts for breaches of the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (Plastic Packaging Materials Prohibition- PPM) Order. Of the thirty-seven matters mentioned, twenty-five businesses pleaded guilty and were convicted which brings the number of convictions to date under the Order to twenty-five.

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is aware of a series of videos and photographs depicting the killing of a crocodile on a fishing beach. The Agency has commenced its investigation and coordination with its partner agencies to find the perpetrators of this gruesome act.

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) received a report from Rubis Energy Jamaica Limited of a pollution incident at its Rockfort facility in East Kingston on Tuesday, January 7, 2020 at approximately 1:28 p.m. The company reported that there was a release of petroleum products, which entered the terrestrial and marine environment.

A technical team was subsequently deployed by the Agency to investigate the incident. During the team’s visit to the facility the recovery of the spilled product had commenced and containment booms deployed in the marine environment.

Twelve businesses in Western Jamaica were today convicted for breaches of the ban on single-use plastics by the St James and Trelawny Parish Courts. The establishments convicted, which included, restaurants, grocery and clothing stores were fined sums ranging from $10,000.00 - $20,000.00 or a term of one-year imprisonment at hard labour.

The Government of Jamaica will proceed with implementing the ban on locally manufactured and distributed expanded polystyrene foam products used in the food and beverage industry. The ban will take effect on January 1, 2020.

This follows the implementation of phase one of the ban on the importation of the items, which took effect on January 1, 2019.