Monique Hepburn and Richard Morais, Gleaner Writers
WESTERN BUREAU:
DIANA MCCAULAY, chief executive officer of the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET), yesterday chided the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) for allowing construction to begin without environmental approval at the Greenfield Stadium in Rock, Trelawny.
"This makes nonsense of the review process," said Mrs. McCaulay. "If site clearance is allowed before the environmental impact assessment (EIA) has been reviewed, before the public is consulted and before a permit has been issued, all kinds of damage can be done."
In a release issued yesterday, Mrs. McCaulay said that starting a new stadium (which includes site clearance) without a permit is a breach of the law. The Natural Resources Conservation (Permit and Licensing) Regulations of 1966 state that "prescribed activities" require an environmental permit.
The release referred to the required review process as well as public consultations before allowing construction.
Yesterday, it was reported that Dr. Wayne Reid, chairman of Jamaica Cricket 2007 Limited, was not happy with the slow pace at which NEPA was working to grant an environmental approval for the construction of the facility. However, site preparation has already started for the construction of buildings.
According to Mrs. McCaulay, JET is concerned with NEPA's tolerance of site clearance before the issuing and proper monitoring of environmental permits.
PRELIMINARY WORK
In the meantime, a batch of 20 Chinese workers are busy doing preliminary work to facilitate the construction of the international stadium at Rock.
The team includes Chief and Deputy Engineer, Chow Chen, who now assumes the name 'Tom', and Chun Kai Wang who will go by the name 'Jake'. This team is overseeing the clearing, the initial implementation of the utilities' stations, as well as construct living quarters. Another group of Chinese workers is expected this weekend.
According to Member of Parliament for the area Dr. Patrick Harris, the rumour that 400 Chinese will be brought to Jamaica is incorrect.
He noted that, "The Chinese are more than willing to use local workers as it will be less costly to the company."
