Dear Editor,

The University of the West Indies, Jamaica Environment Trust, Water Resources Authority (under the Ministry of Water and Housing) and others now know the full extent of the importance of the Cockpit Country to the water resources of the country, the environment, and many other things.

Did we know it 30 years and more ago? I doubt it. Julian Robinson, the minister of state in the ministry of science, technology, energy and mining, on the TVJ evening news on Friday, May 22, 2015, defended the 30-odd-year-old contract to allow mining in an area those in the know now deem to be within the Cockpit Country. He admitted that an area further inside had been removed from the permitted mining area. Was it too obvious, too blatant to be allowed?

Noranda Jamaica Bauxite Partners is 51 per cent-owned by the Government [Jamaica Bauxite Mining Ltd]. Robinson is a part of the government, which is desperate for money, borrowing, deferring Peter to pay Paul. They want to export additional bauxite to China — never mind the “rare earths” in the residue — but where to get more from? Why, let’s nibble away at the edges of the Cockpit Country, of course, and hope the effects on the water resources and environment aren’t too devastating in the era of catastrophic climate change. Cheers, Minister Pickersgill!

Howard Chin

Member, Jamaica Institution of Engineers

hma14@cwjamaica.com