THE EDITOR, Sir:
Through you Sir, I would like to address the following concerns to the Hon. Horace Dalley, Minister of Land and Environment.
Dear Minister,
We are appealing to you to instruct the Pollution Control Department of the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) to take note of the dangerously high levels of industrial pollution affecting our community and to initiate remedial action. Our location is a residential subdivision situated along the Queen's Highway in St. Ann. Reasons for this urgent request are:
1. Residents here (and beyond) continue to suffer severe and persistent dust pollution from Kaiser Jamaica Bauxite Company (KJBC). This longstanding abuse has never been effectively controlled by the responsible agencies (NRCA and JBI). Currently bauxite dust pollution is worse than ever and KJBC is increasingly unresponsive to complaints.
2. Dried bauxite dust is microscopic, containing particles smaller than 10 micrometers in size and arguably as small as 2.5 (two point five) micrometers. Numerous medical studies have confirmed that inhalation of such dust is extremely hazardous to health.
3. KJBC has been permitted to design and conduct its own dust emission testing programme and refuses to divulge the results to us. We believe that their monitoring system is inadequate and that the actual bauxite dust fall in areas downwind of their plant exceeds the EPA standards adopted by NRCA.
4. Despite appeals from citizens citing this existing dust nuisance, contractors for the North Coast Highway (NCHIP) were granted a licence to operate a quarry and stone crushing plant adjacent to our residences. No site specific Environmental Impact Assessment was done on this project. The conditions attached to the quarry licence are clearly inadequate and those that do exist are being flouted. The project area is a prime example of environmental abuse.
5. And as a result of these malpractices, our residential community is now being daily subjected to a double whammy of dangerous dust pollution plus the added nuisances of noise, vehicle and machinery emissions and bush fires from NCHIP. We submit that NEPA/NRCA have both a moral and a legal obligation to protect us from dangerous and persistent pollution, especially when this emanates from government-owned (KJBC) and sponsored (NCHIP) companies. We are therefore appealing to you: activate NRCA to perform its pollution control function in our neighbourhood and we suggest that as a first step they initiate a bona fide air quality testing programme capable to determine levels of dust pollution, especially in the PM 2.5 to PM 10 range.
I am, etc.,
MARGARET MORRIS
P.O. Box 92
Discovery Bay
St. Ann
