Government confident it has acted to protect the citizens and environment in Duncan’s Bay
The Office of the Prime Minister notes the concern raised in the public domain regarding the new sand mining operation by Duncan’s Bay Development Company in Duncan’s Bay, Trelawny.
The Government of Jamaica is confident that it has followed protocol to protect the citizens and the environment in this matter.
Proceeding on legal and technical advice and further advice from the municipal corporation and the Mines and Geology Unit among others and based on the recommendation of the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), Prime Minister Andrew Holness made the decision to allow the appeal from Duncan’s Bay Development Company Limited, thereby granting the environment permit for the mining and quarrying of beach sand at Duncan’s Bay, Trelawny.
The permit was subsequently granted along with specific conditions outlined that must be upheld by Duncan’s Bay Development Company.
Some of the specific conditions are:
- No sand should be removed from the foreshore of the property;
- No clearance of vegetation cover outside of the boundaries stipulated under the mining license;
- All work should be carried out by the company between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. from Mondays to Fridays. There shall be no work on weekends and Public Holidays;
- There should be no disturbance of any turtles or their nests as a consequence of the activity;
- The company shall notify the Duncan’s Bay Citizen’s Association and NEPA of the schedule of mining activity so as to ascertain the areas where turtle nests are located and any other concerns;
- No mining activity shall be undertaken during the peak turtle season, June – November and;
- The company shall engage the services of a qualified and known professional (s) who has/have the experience in handling turtles, their nest and eggs.
Against the background of the conditions and the detailed process involved, the Government is therefore surprised by the comments expressed in the public domain.
The government is confident that it has acted in a transparent manner in this matter.