The Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) has declared Government’s decision to rescind a mining permit, for operations in the Dry Harbour Mountains in St Ann, a win for the environment.

In a statement Friday evening, Senator Sophia Frazer Binns, shadow minister for land, environment and climate change, said it had been poor judgment on the part of the Andrew Holness Administration to have given permission to Bengal
Development Limited/Jamaica World LLC to mine and quarry bauxite, peat, sand and minerals in the ecologically sensitive Cockpit Country.

“While we welcome the revocation of the permit, we remain concerned about poor decision making by the Government with regards to the use of our natural resources,” Frazer Binns said.

Making his contribution to the 2021-2022 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives last Wedneday (May 26), Minister of Transport and Mining Robert Montague said the Government had revised the agreement for mining in the Cockpit Country.

According to Montague, the modifications include the removal of 6,000 hectares of land adjacent to the Cockpit Country from the original Special Mining Lease 173.

In her statement, Frazer Binns declared that the Government must say whether the permission was rescinded because Bengal missed several deadlines to pay the $40 million environmental performance bond.

She said she was also reminding the Government that, “Jamaica, as a small island developing state (SIDS), is vulnerable and needs stronger environmental enforcement. It is important that due diligence and environmental impact assessments are done before permission is granted for the use of any land, especially in protected and sensitive areas”.

She warned that Jamaica would pay dearly if economic gains were placed over environmental sustainability.

“No Government, due to economic or political expediency, undue haste and a lack of interest or understanding, should overturn decisions made by the Natural Resource Conservation Authority (NRCA),” Frazer Binns said.