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Jamaica Bows to Pressure From Environment Lobby on Mining
Text of report by Caribbean Media Corporation news agency website
Kingston, Jamaica: Government on Friday [15 December] bowed to pressure from environmentalists and decided to suspend prospecting licences for the mining of bauxite and limestone in the Cockpit Country located in the island's hilly interior.
Lands Minister Roger Clarke said a decision was taken to suspend the licences to Alcoa and Clarendon Alumina production to allow further discussions with stakeholders.
He said a meeting was being arranged with the environmentalists, mining interests and relevant government agencies to work through the concerns.
"I am moving to have the licences suspended and next week we will be meeting with all the parties to come to some reasonable agreement," Clarke told local media.
On Thursday members of two environmental groups threatened to take legal action to prevent the government from allowing mining in the area.
The environmentalists walked out of a meeting with Permanent Secretary in the Ministry Land Donovan Stansberry after it was announced that a licence for bauxite prospecting was already granted.
They also called on Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller to withdraw the permit, saying they did not rule out civil disobedience to press their demand.
Spokesperson for the environmental groups Diana McCauley said the decision to suspend the permits will pave the way for meaningful discussions on protecting the Cockpit Country.
"Well, we are very happy to hear this announcement by Minister Roger Clarke that the licences will be suspended," she told local media. "We learnt today that not just one prospecting licence had been granted but two - the second for limestone - and we are happy to hear that those licences will be suspended."
She added that environmentalists anticipate that the meeting will be held very quickly and once the boundaries for the Cockpit Country are agreed on the area inside those boundaries would be declared closed to mining and prospecting.
The Cockpit Country spans over 5,000 acres and runs through the western parishes of St James and Trelawny and the southern parish St Elizabeth. There are hundreds of endemic plants, birds, reptiles and animals that can only be found in the area, which has been labelled the world's last natural ecological treasure.
(c) 2006 BBC Monitoring Americas. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
Text of report by Caribbean Media Corporation news agency website
Kingston, Jamaica: Government on Friday [15 December] bowed to pressure from environmentalists and decided to suspend prospecting licences for the mining of bauxite and limestone in the Cockpit Country located in the island's hilly interior.
Lands Minister Roger Clarke said a decision was taken to suspend the licences to Alcoa and Clarendon Alumina production to allow further discussions with stakeholders.
He said a meeting was being arranged with the environmentalists, mining interests and relevant government agencies to work through the concerns.
"I am moving to have the licences suspended and next week we will be meeting with all the parties to come to some reasonable agreement," Clarke told local media.
On Thursday members of two environmental groups threatened to take legal action to prevent the government from allowing mining in the area.
The environmentalists walked out of a meeting with Permanent Secretary in the Ministry Land Donovan Stansberry after it was announced that a licence for bauxite prospecting was already granted.
They also called on Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller to withdraw the permit, saying they did not rule out civil disobedience to press their demand.
Spokesperson for the environmental groups Diana McCauley said the decision to suspend the permits will pave the way for meaningful discussions on protecting the Cockpit Country.
"Well, we are very happy to hear this announcement by Minister Roger Clarke that the licences will be suspended," she told local media. "We learnt today that not just one prospecting licence had been granted but two - the second for limestone - and we are happy to hear that those licences will be suspended."
She added that environmentalists anticipate that the meeting will be held very quickly and once the boundaries for the Cockpit Country are agreed on the area inside those boundaries would be declared closed to mining and prospecting.
The Cockpit Country spans over 5,000 acres and runs through the western parishes of St James and Trelawny and the southern parish St Elizabeth. There are hundreds of endemic plants, birds, reptiles and animals that can only be found in the area, which has been labelled the world's last natural ecological treasure.
(c) 2006 BBC Monitoring Americas. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.