WESTERN BUREAU – The National Environmental and Planning Agency (NEPA) said yesterday that it is unlikely that the Jamaica Public Service Company is responsible for an oily substance that was found on the grounds of the Pyre River Cemetery in Montego Bay late last month.

“While the thing (oily substance) went through the JPSCo property there is no evidence of poor house keeping there; . infact the various devices they have to separate oil and water from going into the drain all appeared to be working,” NEPA’s chief executive officer, Franklin McDonald told the Observer yesterday.

Three weeks ago, mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Noel Donaldson accused the JPSCo of discharging what he said appeared to be oil from the Bogue Power Plant onto the grounds of the cemetery.

But the JPSCo denied that the oily substance emanated from its Bogue generating plant.

“JPSCo is assuring the public that it has no knowledge of any conditions at its Bogue Plant that would cause the presence of those substance in the area,” the light and power company said.

The matter first came to light towards the end of last year when a “concerned citizen” reported to the Montego Bay Marine Park that he had observed oil in a drain reportedly coming from the JPSCo plant.

Days later, NEPA dispatched a team of officers to the location in an effort to identify the source of the problem.

Yesterday McDonald told the Observer that based on a preliminary report from the investigating team, it appeared that the oil emanated from an illegal garage.

“There was a fire at this garage and it appears that at the time of the fire, which was about two months ago, there could be a spill and the oil washed down in the drain,” the NEPA official explained.

In addition, McDonald said that gasoline was allegedly being sold illegally at the garage and it may have been dumped in the drain at the time of the fire.

Meanwhile, NEPA said that it intended to work closely with the St James Parish Council and other agencies in an effort to “closely monitor ” operations in the area.

According to NEPA, the police would also be asked to conduct an investigation concerning reports that the garage has been selling fuel to the public.