SPANISH TOWN, St Catherine – Councillors from both the Jamaica Labour Party and People’s National Party of the St Catherine Parish Council on Thursday expressed objections to a proposal by a major business enterprise to build a cement factory at 2 March Pen Road in Spanish Town.

The councillors, who were attending the monthly general council meeting, said they had concerns about the possible environmental and health issues associated with a cement plant, its close proximity to the Spanish Town Public Hospital and to schools in that section of the old capital.

The furious councillors mandated the Building and Town Planning Committee not to approve the plans and suggested that the cement plant be built in a less densely populated section of the parish.

During a stormy debate lasting about 45 minutes, the councillors said they were not averse to developments in the parish to provide jobs and generate economic development in the town, but insisted that proper thought must first be put into the type of development and its location.

The matter was brought to the council’s attention by chief public health inspector for St Catherine, Samuel Cameron, who, in his report, told the meeting that the health department was concerned about the proposed cement factory and warned of the serious health and environmental impact it could have on residents in the area, especially on the nearby Spanish Town Hospital.

“The health department is aware of the proposal to construct a cement plant in Spanish Town. From the health department’s point of view, we don’t think it is feasible to put a cement plant in the town based on the population and the problems that is associated with that type of plant,” said the health inspector.

He said he was informed that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has already been done, but that his department would like an Environmental Health Assessment so that they have an idea of all the health risks associated with such a plant.

“.It is our duty to make the parish council aware of our concerns so that necessary measures can be put in place to deal with it,” Cameron told the Observer after the meeting

He said although the health department had not received any plans regarding the cement factory, they had been advised that an EIA has already been submitted to the Ministry of Health.

“The cement plant can’t build a Spanish Town”; “Carry it go a bush, a kill dem want kill off people”; “We not allowing that” and “Dem tek we fe fool”, were the shouts from some of the councillors.

Mayor Andrew Wheatley said the council knew about the plan for the proposed cement factory, but said nothing had been submitted to the local authority for approval.

Meanwhile, former mayor Dr Raymoth Notice said that there could be environmental and other problems if the cement factory was sited at March Pen Road.

“We can’t be penny wise and pound foolish. We have to look at the repercussions on the population. We need factories here, but we can’t have this one here. It is going to be a health hazard and an environmental danger,” said the former mayor.

Wheatley promised that the council would do what was necessary when the application for the cement plant is sent to the council’s Town Planning Committee.