Residents prepare to file civil suit against Windalco over 2019 Rio Cobre pollution

 

  

Following the recent ruling by the St. Catherine Parish Court concerning the 2019 Rio Cobre pollution case, attorneys representing residents in the Rio Cobre area are now preparing to file a civil suit against bauxite company Windalco.

 

The attorneys have invited residents affected by the 2019 Rio Cobre pollution to a town hall meeting to discuss the impact of the contamination and the way forward. 

 

The meeting is scheduled to be held at the SDA Church in Bog Walk, starting at 3 p.m. 

 

The call comes after Windalco was found guilty in the St. Catherine Parish Court for the October 2019 effluent spill, which resulted in fish kills and affected nearby communities.

 

The company was fined the maximum penalty of $100,000, which it is expected to pay on November 16, the official sentencing date.

 

Attorney-at-law Marcus Goffe told Radio Jamaica News that the conviction is an important step in the fight for environmental justice, but more work lies ahead.

 

"We are continuing to collect data and to prepare next steps in terms of the civil case or cases. In that respect, we will be looking to present some updates to the community early in the new year," he shared.

 

Mr. Goffe said the legal team is also considering how the conviction could help advance other cases and secure compensation for those affected.

 

The attorney has called for environmental crimes to be treated more seriously, arguing that fines alone do little to repair environmental damage. 

 

"We talk about crimes against humanity and crimes against the environment fall in that category. Because again, the ways that we normally deal with these kinds of criminal matters - going to the courts and having persons be found guilty and pay a fine - doesn't really do enough to rehabilitate the environment or the individual or company that has been convicted. And so, for us, it's important that we appreciate that environmental crimes are serious crimes, and having an environmental court to focus on that is something that we think is a definite move the right direction," he suggested.