THE proposed new housing development for the Long Mountain area of Kingston is at risk from not only slope failure, but also from hurricanes and earthquakes, according to the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report done by EPN Consultants Limited.

The Housing Agency of Jamaica Limited (HAJL) proposes to develop a 54-lot residential subdivision — located amidst Long Mountain/Karachi Road and the upscale communities of Long Mountain Country Club, Beverly Hills and Pines of Karachi — on 29.2 acres of land, with another 193.2 acres left “for conservation and public open space”.

“The susceptibility of the proposed site is exacerbated primarily by its topographic elevations and the expected removal of trees for construction which otherwise act as natural wind buffers,” said the EIA report, dated June 2011, in reference to the hurricane threat.

“The project site itself is bounded to the east and west by mapped geological faults. The January 1993 earthquake affected areas within the vicinity of the proposed development and caused damage to the NWC’s (National Water Commission) filter plant, ground cracks along the embankment road on the south-western section of the Mona Reservoir and triggered a large rock slide in the limestone quarry located near the reservoir,” added the 186-page document.

Given the risk of the tremors, Dr Lyndon Brown, head of the Earthquake Unit, has urged caution in proceeding with the development even as he conceded the subdivision would be on more stable ground than some other developments.

“The area is on limestone and limestone is one of the more stable areas in terms of shaking compared to the alluvial areas such as on the Liguanea Plains. But then at Long Mountain, we know there are active faults so there is a whole lot of motion in terms of fault activity…” he told the Observer. “We can see clear trends of fault lines running into Long Mountain from the Kingston Harbour based on sonar mapping of the inner harbour that was done last year with the University of Texas.”

He suggested that a seismic assessment be undertaken to inform any further development of the area.

“We should pay attention to the trends of fault line and do more in-depth studies (to try) to figure out the amount of motion that is taking place along the fault line in this area. A seismic study should be done prior to any development — just like how we suggest that a seismic assessment must be done for all developments across Jamaica because there is so much variability in the geology and in relation to active fault lines.”

Meanwhile, the EIA report said there is also a risk of flooding, given the pavement structures, such as roads, driveways and sidewalks that will have to be put in.

“If the drainage system for the site is under-sized and there is frequent blockage due to rock/soil debris entering the system, flooding could occur on the site and may also negatively impact the nearby Pines of Karachi community,” the consultants said.

Several groups, among them environmental lobbyists, have raised other concerns over the development, which is still open for feedback from stakeholders. The concerns range from sewage and the potential contamination of the Mona Reservoir to what will happen should the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) not give the go-ahead for the development.

“In the event that NEPA says no on any basis and the Housing Agency of Jamaica appeals, the appeal will be heard by the minister of environment (Dr Horace Chang), who is also the minister of housing,” Diana McCaulay, chief executive officer for the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET), told the Observer.

“It is difficult if you have these two conflicting mandates — one is to promote housing, which we all support, and the other is to promote green space, which we all should support. The plan is to put housing in the green space, so what to do,” she added,

The loss of green space is another of JET’s concerns.

“One of the justifications that is now being used (to promote the development) is that houses were already built there — Long Mountain Country Club (and) Pines of Karachi. When you allow the loss of a small amount of green space, that is used to justify further losses,” McCaulay said.

“There must be a point in time when we say we have taken some decisions in the past that were perhaps not for the best, but we are not going to continue on that path. And where Long Mountain is concerned, we have reached that point,” she added.

Many of the concerns raised are already on record with NEPA, following the July 21 public meeting on the project, which was held at the Courtleigh Hotel in Kingston.

“All of this is now being put together so that the agency (NEPA) can make a recommendation to the NRCA (Natural Resources Conservation Authority board) for a decision,” said Ainsley Henry, acting director of NEPA’s Applications Management Division.

He would not comment on the strength of each concern, but conceded that “based on the views expressed at the public meeting, it seems that there are issues to be resolved, though some people are in opposition (to the project) and some people aren’t”.

The EIA report has, in the interim, indicated that the risk from natural disasters and the possibility of slope failure could be minimised if certain measures are put in place.

Given the possibility of “increased vulnerability due to slope failures of fractured rock along moderate to steep gradients” and “noise nuisance, vibration and fugitive dust affecting adjacent communities”, for example, the consultants said site preparation and construction work should “be controlled and systematically done and the impacts of such monitored during those phases of the development”.

They noted that the possibility of flooding could be minimised should roads be protected from inundation and if the erosion control features and measures put in place are “inspected and reviewed weekly and the necessary repairs made — particularly after rainfall events that exceed 0.5 inches”.

The HAJ, for its part, is maintaining its silence on the matter.

“The process is currently ongoing; therefore, it would not be appropriate for the agency to publicly comment on any issue surrounding the proposed Mona Development. We believe we should allow the EIA process to take its proper course,” it said in a release to the media.