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PickersgillTHE NATIONAL Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is likely to announce today that the Port Authority of Jamaica has been cleared to resume dredging in the Kingston Harbour.
Work in the harbour stopped last Friday, after NEPA accused the Authority of breaching the terms of its licence, by dumping dredged material in a section of Hunts Bay beyond which it had been licensed.
But, Transport and Works Minister, Robert Pickersgill, was confident yesterday that work will resume before the week is out.
"I'm anticipating that work will restart before the end of the week. In fact I'm expecting a call," the Minister told The Gleaner last night.
His optimism stems from the fact that the technical personnel of the two agencies met on Tuesday and "things seemed to have gone well". So well that the Works Minister is not sure there is now any need for him to meet with Horace Dalley, the Land and Environment Minister. The two were scheduled to meet yesterday.
The Board of the Natural Resources and Conservation Authority (NRCA), one of the three agencies that form NEPA, met yesterday and appeared to have taken the decision that dredging will resume, but with some conditions. Learie Miller, NEPA's Director of Conservation and Protection, had told The Gleaner that a statement would have been issued yesterday but that did not materialise.
There was a minor war of words between the two agencies following the cessation notice last Thursday, with the Port Authority accusing NEPA of creating mischief. The Authority claimed to have abided by the terms of its licence and said it was in regular contact with NEPA. But, Gleaner sources confirmed that the Authority had been in breach of its licence for some time.
The US$27 million dredging operation which started last December is scheduled to be completed this month. Mr. Pickersgill was last night unable to place a dollar figure on the cost of the work stoppage. "I am unable to, but things like that usually involve a cost," he noted.
While the actual dredging had stopped, there was still a buzz of activity taking place in the vicinity of the Portmore Causeway, with heavy equipment moving debris in the area that is being dumped up. The lands being reclaimed represent the final segment of the development of phase three of the Kingston transhipment port.
