KINGSTON, Jamaica – The People’s National Party (PNP) candidate for St Elizabeth North East Evon Redman has appealed for calm after workers and support personnel at Appleton Estate mounted roadblocks to draw attention to the factory’s continued closure.

Redman, in a release from the PNP, also appealed to J Wray & Nephew Limited (JWN) to comply with the Natural Resources Conservation (Wastewater and Sludge) Regulations 2013, which will require it to address the release of waste from its Appleton Estate factory in Siloah, St Elizabeth.

Earlier this week, JWN was served an injunction ordering them to cease the discharge of effluent resulting from operations at its Siloah Appleton facility. While this injunction hearing was before the courts, the company was unable to commence scheduled harvesting of the 2016 sugarcane crop.

Redman called on constituents and others involved in the protest, including haulage contractors, sugar cane harvesters and farmers, to consider taking other approaches to settling disputes, in the interest of all concerned.

Another business entity in the constituency has alleged that effluent from the sugar factory have been damaging its property, resulting in the granting of the injunction against JWN while the case is heard, Redman’s release said.

Redman said he is calling on all parties involved in the court action to, “amicably arrive at a long-term solution, so that he and them can sit and work through the delivery of benefits to St. Elizabeth that will help to address the important matters of employment, the environment and community development, in a sustainable and integrated way”.

“Workers, contractors and farmers want a fix to this impasse” Redman said.

“The onus is on business leaders to now find a solution which will protect my constituents’ income and the important 2016 sugar crop,” he said.