Cockpit Country issue may be taken to court
December 15, 2006
Environmental advocates, the Cockpit Country Stakeholders Group (CCSG), said they would be looking for ways to take the Government to court over a decision it took to grant exploration licences to two bauxite/alumina entities.
CCSG Chairperson, Diana MaCaulay, said yesterday that the group will be acquiring the help of overseas lobby groups, Friends of the Earth International and the Environmental Law Worldwide, to pressure the Government to revoke the licences that were recently granted to bauxite/alumina companies, Alcoa and Clarendon Aluminium Production (CAP).
"We are looking at any legal recourse. We are making links with overseas groups to see what kind of pressure can be added from outside of Jamaica; we are going to contact Alcoa directly. We are not ruling out civil protest," Ms. MaCaulay said during a briefing with the media, yesterday afternoon.
Prospecting licence
The group fumed yesterday morning during a consultation on the National Minerals Policy at the Jamaica Conference Centre after Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Land, Donovan Stanberry, announced that a special exclusive prospecting licence had been granted to the two companies without consulting environmental stakeholders.
But during the emergency press briefing held subsequently by the environmental group yesterday afternoon at Jamaica Environment Trust's (JET) offices, in St. Andrew, Ms. MaCaulay said the group had written several times to the Government to get information on plans for the Cockpit Country, but that there had been no response to date.
"As recently as Wednesday of this week, the executive director of the Jamaica Bauxite Institute, Parris Lyew-Ayee, wrote to us saying he would contact us to set up a meeting," she said. "To learn that the licence has been issued anyway is a clear indication of the disregard in which the Government of Jamaica holds the public."
The environmental stakeholders contend that the granting of the prospecting licences has slowed moves for the area to be declared a world heritage site....
Author: Gleaner Reporter
Source: Jamaica Gleaner
