KINGSTON, Jamaica — Personnel from the National Environment and Planning Agency’s (NEPA) enforcement, pollution prevention and air quality management teams were among over 70 technical industry professionals trained as visual emission observers recently.

The specialised training delivered by NEPA, in partnership with Eastern Technical Associates from the United States, took place at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining football field on Old Hope Road, and included representatives from sectors such as electricity generation, bauxite mining and refining, food processing, minerals processing, and cement manufacturing.

It equipped participants with the skills necessary to visually assess air emissions from industrial chimneys, thereby strengthening Jamaica’s capacity to monitor and manage air quality.

The training resulted in visual emission observers now being able to determine the opacity of emissions to ensure compliance with the 20 per cent opacity limit stipulated under the Natural Resources and Conservation Authority (NRCA) Air Quality Regulations 2006.

Under the Air Pollutant Discharge Licences (APDL), issued by NEPA, facilities are permitted to release emissions into the atmosphere, provided they remain within regulated limits and are monitored by certified personnel.

As such, NEPA’s Senior Public Education and Community Outreach Officer, Ava Tomlinson, pointed out that this training is a critical step in ensuring that industries monitor and control their emissions responsibly, adding that “by enhancing the capability of both industry and NEPA personnel, we are actively working to maintain air quality standards and safeguard public health”.

This is the second of two annual training courses to ensure that professionals remain current with industry standards and are recertified in their ability to measure chimney emissions effectively.

“By limiting emissions from industrial sources, NEPA continues to support ambient air quality standards, contributing to public health and Jamaica’s environmental sustainability goals. These efforts align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 3.9.1, which target the reduction of illnesses from air pollution, and SDG 11.6.2, which seeks to reduce the environmental impact on cities and improve air quality,” she said.

— JIS