St. Elizabeth roads blocked in protest against Appleton injunction

Roadblocks have been mounted in sections of  St. Elizabeth to protest a court injunction which has resulted in Appleton Estate delaying the start of the 2015/2016 sugar crop.

The injunction was obtained on Monday by Algix Jamaica, operator of a fish farm, against J Wray and Nephew, the owner of  Appleton Estate.    

The protestors, who include cane farmers, private contractors and cane cutters, say the delay is having a serious impact on their livelihood.
    
The roads affected include Appleton to Maggotty and sections along the Maggotty-to-Newton main road.
    
A section of  Holland Bamboo has also been blocked with debris.
    
The protest has affected the flow of  traffic heading towards Santa Cruz and Westmoreland.
    
The protesters have targeted areas which supply sugar to the factory.
    
Algix Jamaica is alleging that it suffered damage to its property, due to the discharge of effluent from the sugar factory at the Estate.

Impact

Jimmy Lawrence, Managing Director of  J. Wray and Nephew, has expressed grave concern about the impact of  the estate's closure on rum production.
   
Mr Lawrence told RJR News that the company has began the process to appeal the injunction.

"We can't go contrary to regulations and the law, so our efforts are to seek and find ways to expedite matters, with a view to commencing operations," he told RJR News.

He noted, however, that "all that has to be done in the context of what we are constrained to do by the motion that Algix has brought against us, and the ruling of the court."

Puzzled

But Maurice Reynolds, Managing Director of  Algix Jamaica, has declared that he is puzzled by the statement from J. Wray and Nephew, that operations at Appleton Estate have come to a halt following the injunction it obtained on Monday.
    
Mr. Reynolds told RJR News that, in obtaining the injunction, his company did not intend to stop operations at Appleton, but to ensure compliance with regulations for the discharge of  effluent as stipulated by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA).
   
He is alleging that on three occasions last year, Appleton discharged effluent in the company's water, killing millions of  fish.
    
Mr. Reynolds said tests conducted by NEPA found that Appleton was in breach.

His company did not ask the court to block Appleton releasing  effluent into river, Mr. Reynolds said.

"What we are saying is that they must discharge within the limit of the law and the regulations, and doing so would not result in a fish kill," he explained.

The matter has been set for mediation.