A range of concerns about the effects that the north-south link of Highway 2000 would have on the environment was largely ignored by the Government since they were first raised in 2012 by the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET).

Those concerns have now manifested into what has been described as “disastrous environmental damage” to Old Fort Bay in St Ann, which has pushed property owners there to seek help from the public defender.

JET began highlighting its concerns after reviewing an environmental impact assessment (EIA) done by CL Environment Limited for the Caymanas to Linstead leg of the highway in November 2012.

“The north-south link of Highway 2000 is going to traverse the island, crossing the flood plains of at least five major rivers, requiring significant removal of forests and large scale engineering works on steep slopes,” JET Chief Executive Officer Diana McCaulay wrote to then Minister of Transport, Works, and Housing Dr Omar Davies in December 2012.

“It presents a range of serious environmental and public safety hazards, described in some detail in the EIA, yet inexplicably all these risks are rated as ‘minor’ and ‘small’,” McCaulay added.

She told Davies that she took no comfort in a statement that the risks would be mitigated or managed by the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) and the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) because “environmental permits in Jamaica are too often poorly drafted and rarely enforced”.

Despite the concerns, work on the US$730-million highway was completed in March this year. But JET, in a document compiled last month, pointed out that NEPA was lax in its monitoring of the project.

Based on an Access to Information request, JET said: “Work was underway by June 2014 (and possibly earlier), but NEPA apparently did not visit until the end of October 2014. Based on the reports sent to JET, NEPA only visited three times in 2015 — grossly inadequate for a project of this size, complexity and potential impacts — although the monitoring reports do refer to seven visits.”

The environmental protection agency said it learnt that, prior to the observed impacts to the marine environment, NEPA sent seven warning letters to Jamaica North South Highway Company Limited (JNSH).

“Two (dated January 16, 2015, and August 19, 2015) were not provided to JET, but were referred to in monitoring reports. The others provided to JET were:

* May 1, 2015 – Warning letter relating to fugitive dust;

* June 11, 2015 – Warning letter relating to collapse of Segment 3.

* December 16, 2015 – three new breaches, five prior breaches. Threatens suspension notice.

* February 12, 2016 – Final warning letter. Eight new breaches, five prior breaches, refers to Old Fort Bay impacts. Threatens suspension notice.

* March 10, 2016 – Expresses concern about China Harbour Engineering Company’s (CHEC) mitigation proposal, requests improvements.”

According to the JET document, the main breaches on the project were:

* Non-compliance with all permits and drawings;

* Operational and maintenance manual for water quality control was not provided;

* Contract for protection, maintenance and cleaning not provided;

* Work conducted outside of specified hours;

* Removal of vegetation out of alignment for which a warning letter was issued on January 16, 2015.

* Storm water drainage plan implemented at unstated locations was not based on a design approved by National Works Agency (NWA);

* Storm water drainage plan submitted February 6, 2014 was not approved by NWA — no further details given. Changes were made to the plan without NWA approval;

* Failure to advise NEPA of commencement date of the project; and

* No measures were put in place to control cut-face erosions in some places.

This, JET said, was identified as early as November 2014.

“The general problem of lack of enforcement had been raised, and all the problems we had at the EIA stage were highlighted,” McCaulay told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

Pointing to the problems now affecting Old Fort Bay and other communities in St Ann, McCaulay said: “This is what this kind of poor monitoring leads to.”

In April this year, the new NRCA board issued enforcement notices on JNSH and the National Road Operating and Constructing Company (NROCC) ordering them to fix the problems created by the highway or face prosecution if they fail to abide by the notice.

Yesterday, the Sunday Observer reported that Old Fort Bay property owner and attorney Stephen Shelton, QC wrote to Public Defender Arlene Harrison-Henry in June requesting her intervention in the matter.

Shelton said they have had numerous meetings with NEPA, CHEC, and NROCC; however, to date the problems still exist despite what he described as “inadequate attempts by CHEC” to remedy the situation.

“What was once one of the most beautiful beaches and bays in Jamaica is now a virtual mud hole and garbage dump,” Shelton wrote, adding that the owners of the properties have suffered and are suffering severe losses as a result of the environmental problems which have resulted from the construction of the highway.