Ten days after it started, the fire at Kingston’s Riverton City dump continues to smoke, pouring pollution into the air and causing hardship for thousands of residents in surrounding areas. This is the second major fire at the dump (please folks, it is not a landfill) in the past two months. The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), the government agency with responsibility for the dump, has not complied with an order to have the fire out by last Friday.
The Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) and the Jamaica Civil Society Coalition (JCSC) issued a joint statement on the matter today. Will it ever be resolved? And has anyone been measuring the air quality in our city?
April 28th, 2014
Kingston, Jamaica
WE CAN’T BREATHE! JAMAICANS STILL BEING HARMED BY RIVERTON DUMP FIRE, SAYS JET
More than a month after the Riverton City Dump combusted into flames on March 15, 2014, which was followed by a second fire started on April 18, 2014, the smouldering dump continues to pose a severe health hazard for citizens in the Kingston and St Andrew area and St Catherine. The Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) reports that it is still receiving daily complaints from the general public and pleas for help. We have been told of an increased use of health facilities, people being unable to sleep or enjoy their property even while indoors, and complaints being received from ships coming into Kingston who are affected by poor visibility caused by the smoke.
JET is alarmed by the inability of the authorities to extinguish the fire swiftly, but also the unconscionable silence from the Minister of Health, the Chief Medical Officer and the Central Board of Health. We are concerned that there is no daily information being issued on air quality testing – the public does not know if testing is being done, and if it is being done, what the results are. The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) has allowed the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) to continue to operate Riverton and other dumps in totally unsatisfactory conditions over decades. We know that NEPA issued an enforcement notice with regard to this latest fire, but the smoke continues to compromise the air for thousands of people. We know that millions of dollars have been spent on this latest fire; money that is not going to be available for proper waste management in future. It is an open secret that the fire is often set by people who have access to the unsecured dump and may well be some of the same people who benefit from the funds which then must be spent to extinguish it.
“I flew back into Kingston yesterday, April 27th, 2014 at about 1.30 pm,” says JET’s Chief Executive Officer, Diana McCaulay. “I saw a clear plume of smoke coming from Riverton, reaching as far as Red Hills. Yet later that same afternoon, I also saw a press release from the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) that the dump fire was 95% put out. The responsible government agencies need to stop sugar coating the situation. It is a public health emergency,” said Ms McCaulay.
After the Riverton fire in 2012, JET and the Jamaica Civil Society Coalition (JCSC) participated in an inter agency committee to deal with the situation at Riverton. After a few meetings over many months and no concrete action, the two civil society groups withdrew from the committee, which to the best of their knowledge, never met again.
JET and JCSC are calling on the three responsible Ministers – Health, Local Government, and Land, Water, Environment and Climate Change – to take urgent action not only to extinguish the fire, but to take long outstanding measures to improve solid waste handling in Jamaica and to hold government officials accountable for their portfolios.
“Riverton burns, people are sickened, no one is ever held responsible,” said JET’s CEO.
Contact:
Diana McCaulay, JET
469-1315
Danielle Andrade, JET
392-7341
Rev Dr Paul Gardener, Chairman, JCSC
341-0881
Carol Narcisse. JCSC
430-4705
I didn’t share this release from JET also, dated April 22. The legal struggles regarding the proposed shipping port in Jamaica’s Goat Islands continue.
JET ASKS COURT TO REVIEW GOJ’S DENIAL OF INFORMATION RE GOAT ISLANDS PROJECT
The Minister of Finance and Planning issued a Certificate of Exemption that prevented The Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) from getting information regarding the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) and China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) for plans to develop a port on the Goat Islands in the Portland Bight Protected Area.
JET has applied to the Supreme Court to start the process of judicial review of the Certificate of Exemption.
In October 2013, JET requested these documents from the Port Authority of Jamaica. Access was denied in November 2013. JET then filed an appeal to the Appeals Tribunal of the Access to Information Act and was awaiting a hearing date when the organization received notice that the Minister of Finance and Planning had granted the Certificate of Exemption.
“We believe the Minister erred in granting the Certificate of Exemption,” said Danielle Andrade, JET’s Legal Director, “and we are concerned that this act strikes at the letter and spirit of the Access to Information Act.”
JET has long objected to the lack of information reaching the public on the details of this important project. At a community meeting held on March 24th, 2014 in Old Harbour Bay, residents also expressed concern about the lack of public consultation.
JET will be represented by Hugh Small, QC, instructed by Danielle Andrade and Lisa Russell. “We are hoping for an early date for a hearing,” said JET’s Legal Director.
“Today is Earth Day,” said JET’s Chief Executive Officer, Diana McCaulay. “We regard openness and transparency as a critical foundation of good environmental stewardship. Natural resources, especially those in protected areas, belong to the people of Jamaica and projects which are very likely to harm those resources should be subject to thorough and early public consultation and disclosure of important documents,” said the JET CEO.
Contact:
Jamaica Environment Trust
11 Waterloo Road
Kingston 10
Diana McCaulay, Chief Executive Officer, 469-1315
Danielle Andrade, Legal Director, 392-7341
Petchary's Blog 
Oh my goodness, the fire is still an issue, that is horrible. I hope it is not affecting you and your family.
LikeLike
Well, I know that I have been coughing a great deal lately. I don’t know if it is just because it is so dusty in town – we have had no proper rain for so many weeks, and everywhere is hot, dry and windy! Miserable. I think – but I am not sure – that the fire is out now.
LikeLike