Dear Editor,

Finally, someone — in the person of the auditor general — is calling out NEPA for their inaction. I have been concerned for months about NEPA’s inadequacies, as it relates to the environment. It has come up for me time and time again with various issues, with the most recent being the various islandwide demonstrations on the erection of cell towers in residential areas and NEPA’s apparent endorsement of the communications industry polluting some areas with their electromagnetic radiation. We have made efforts to address this matter quietly with NEPA and the parties concerned. However, our efforts have been futile.

My neighbours and I at #2 East Greater Portmore have sent letters and emails to NEPA and other organisations connected with this matter of the cellular towers, requesting that two cellular towers that are in close proximity to our houses be relocated further along Hellshire Road, an area that doesn’t have residents and is in an undeveloped stretch of road which we feel would be a safe location for those structures. We have been given the run-around by all the parties concerned.

I appeal to the Portmore municipality, NEPA and the minister of the environment: please follow the lead of the contractor general and the auditor general and work in the best interests of Jamaica.

L Brown

St Catherine