A legal showdown is now looming between the Jamaica Environment Trust ( JET) and the government, over alleged suppression of information regarding the controversial Goat Islands transshipment project.
JET has filed an action in the Supreme Court, seeking judicial review of the government's decision to deny it information on the project.
In its claim, JET is seeking a court order regarding a decision by the Minister of Finance, to issue a Certificate of Exemption, blocking the Trust from getting information on the MOU between the Government of Jamaica and China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) for plans to develop the port on the Goat Islands, which is situated in the Portland Bight Protected Area.
According to JET, in October last year, it requested documents from the Port Authority of Jamaica regarding the project, but the request was denied.
The environmental watchdog then filed an appeal to the Appeals Tribunal of the Access to Information Act, and was awaiting a hearing date, when the organization received notice that the Minister of Finance had granted the Certificate of Exemption, blocking the exercise.
JET, in a statement on the matter, reiterated taht it had long objected to the lack of information reaching the public on the details of "this important project."
Hugh Small, QC, will be leading the court battle for JET.
Logistics Hub
The proposed Goat Islands transshipment port is to be developed as part of the Jamaican Logistics Hub, an initiative aimed at drumming up significant new economic opportunities for the island, situated along a major transshipment route in the northern Caribbean.
In addition to the transshipment port, plans are being pursued to establish a dry dock for ship repairs at Jackson Bay in Clarendon and a bulk cargo port at Cow Bay in St. Thomas, east of the capital Kingston.
The former US airbase at Vernamfield in Clarendon is also to be redeveloped as an air cargo facility, while special economic zones are being planned for a number of other locations, including Caymanas estate in St. Catherine.
Environmental concerns
While these projects are largely viewed as potentially beneficial to the Jamaican economy, environmentalists and other public interest groups have expressed strong reservations about the potentially negative environmental impact some of them might have.
The Goat Islands project, the most advanced in the planning stage so far, has attracted most criticisms, particularly because of its location within the Portland Bight Protected Area and the negative impact the developmentis likely to have on marine life within this area.
All feeds
