NEPA fires Rio Grande warning
Sand mining ban in force
Published:Friday | February 17, 2023 | 12:33 AM
Sand miners licensed to operate in the Rio Grande have been complying with an enforcement notice ordering them to suspend all activities in the Portland river, National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) Chief Executive Officer Peter Knight has confirmed.
Knight, who spoke to The Gleaner Thursday, said there have been lingering concerns about adverse effects of mining operations in the river that have made raft captains restive. They claim to have encountered grease, gasolene, and other pollutants while transporting tourists.
The NEPA boss also issued a warning that persons engaged in illegal sand mining cease such operations, adding that enforcement teams will be on the alert for breaches.
“There is no way that people can invest legally, and now have to close down, while others benefit,” Knight said.
“Let me make it clear that it would not be fair to legitimate sand-mining operators, who are duly licensed and have complied with all the regulations, to cease operating, while those that are doing so illegally are allowed to continue.”
Just last week, raft captains operating along the Rio Grande, Portland’s premier tourist attraction, urged the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) to take action against miners who had caused the river to become heavily polluted in the vicinity of Burlington, St Margaret’s Bay.
“It is a situation wherein we get from time to time reports of breaches of the sand-mining permit, resulting in many interventions over the years. If the mining is not done with fairness and good judgement, it will also affect other people who depend on the river for their livelihoods, including raftsmen and farmers in areas of the Rio Grande Valley,” Knight said.
The NEPA chief executive said that further consultations were necessary, and cautioned that there was no guarantee as to when the suspension would be lifted.
In the meantime, the suspension of sand mining has found favour with Delano Seiveright, senior strategist in the tourism ministry. He told The Gleaner that there is need to create a balance among those who utilise the river for tourism and economic purposes.
“We are looking forward to the consultations, as Rio Grande is a treasure. I must commend the efforts of the raft captains who are seeking to protect and preserve their livelihood. Well done,” said Seiveright.