By Adrian Frater, News EditorWESTERN BUREAU:
DESPITE A recent repair job costing over J$2 million in works, there is still no clear indication when the Montego Bay abattoir, which was ordered close by the St. James Health Department last July, will be reopened.
"Some much-needed repairs are still taking place," said Suzette Brown, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the St. James Parish Council, which has overall responsibility for the facility.
"The 'boiler', which is essential to the operation, is still not in place and the main to dispose of waste matter is still not connected to the National Water Commission (NWC) main," he said.
While some of the parish's butchers who are being seriously inconvenienced by the situation, insisted that enough work had been done on the facility to allow it to be re-opened, Ms. Brown said the Health Department is not yet prepared to sanction the reopening of the facility.
CLOSED
On the day the facility was closed, Christopher Powell, the secretary/manager of the Parish Council, told The Gleaner that the Council was in receipt of $2 million of the $4.5 million, which was required to carry out the repairs that was needed. He further added that the facility, which was to be repaired in two phases, would be closed for a mere three weeks. At the end of the initial three weeks, The Gleaner was told by Wesley Moran, the project manager, that he believed the work would be completed in another two or three weeks. However, more than six months later, it would appear that the facility is no closer to being re-opened.
"The Council is waiting on the Ministry of Local Government for the funding to complete the project," said Ms. Brown, who said she has no idea of a possible reopening date. "There is very little the Council can do unless the required funding is made available."
The facility, which was a source of concern to the St. James Health Department for almost two years, was ordered close because of its leaking roof, inadequate lighting, the absence of a pre-slaughtering area for animals and the seepage of effluent into the Montego Bay Marine Park.
"Those conditions were bad but slaughtering animals in open fields and in people's back yard is equally as bad," said one concerned butcher, who asked to remain anonymous. "It is a bad thing to handle food under less than suitable conditions."
