Riverton Dump smoke halts operations at Kingston Freeport
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Karl Samuda says operations at the Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited (KFTL) have been disrupted as a result of smoke from the Riverton Landfill in St Andrew.
The ministry, in a release today, said Samuda, who has responsibility for operations on the island’s ports, was speaking following reports that there have been work stoppages at the KFTL.
The stoppages have been as a result of poor visibility which has made it difficult to operate cranes and straddle carriers safely at the Kingston terminal, the ministry stated in its release.
“We have worked very hard to restore Kingston to its place as the premiere transhipment centre in the region and we cannot afford for vessels to be delayed within our ports because of smoke. As a government we are doing everything in our power to ensure that the smoke clears quickly and we are committed to finding a long term solution to this problem,” Samuda was quoted as saying.
Samuda also commended management and staff at the terminal whose hard work and commitment despite difficult conditions have “helped to minimize the disruptions caused by the smoke.”
KFTL handles most of the transhipment cargo that passes through Kingston.