By DURRANT PATE
Senior Staff Reporter

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) has cracked its whip serving several prominent companies — Seprod, Caribbean Broilers, Musson Jamaica and Dairy Industries — with enforcement notices for major environmental breaches contributing to the pollution of the Kingston Harbour.

In addition several other subsidiaries of Grace Foods, Red Stripe, Jamaica Flour Mills, Jamaica Public Service (JPS), Caribbean Cement Company, Jamaica Biscuit Company and Pepsi Cola Jamaica have all run afoul of environmental laws but no enforcement notices have been served.

The Sunday Herald has obtained a list prepared by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) pointing out some of the main pollutants in Jamaica, particularly to the  pollution of the Kingston Harbour.   Information minister Daryl Vaz who made the presentation in the House in response to private members motion by Member of Parliament Ronnie Thwaites,who was presented with a copy of the NEPA report.

The document was prepared in the context of the Kingston Harbour Initiative, which seeks to reverse the pollution that has been taking place in the Kingston Harbour.

Environmental breaches

Caribbean Products Limited, a subsidiary of Seprod could be considered the biggest polluter of the lot, based on the litany of environmental breaches and citations against the food processing company.

Caribbean Products has been served with an enforcement notice regarding the immediate bonding of air tanks storing hazardous material to contain 120 per cent of the capacity of the tanks.

The enforcement notice also requires the immediate cessation of all oily water leaving the plant and to immediately clean all drains (internal and external) containing oily sludge.

In addition, the notice mandates the company to obtain an environmental licence for the discharge of trade effluent, and an environmental permit for the construction of a wastewater treatment facility.

Caribbean Products has been requested to provide NEPA with copies of its most recent ISO 1400 certification and the names of its environmental auditors.

The Seprod subsidiary has been ordered to provide the environmental watchdog agency with a decommissioning plan for the petroleum tank no longer in use and copies of spill management procedures such as hazard training for staff.

Caribbean Broilers was issued with two breach notices, the latest being two weeks ago when the company was served a notice for the operation of a waste water treatment plant without a permit.

In-house discussions are now taking place to determine the next course of action to have the chicken processing company comply with the law.

Breach notices

Caribbean Broilers through its subsidiary, Nutramix  Newport Mills Limited, which manufacturers chicken feed, was served with a breach notice four weeks ago for fuel spill.

In addition, the company was sent a warning letter pointing to the need for the installation of a secondary containment for all liquids (except water) stored on the property as well as developing an emergency response plan and spill response guidelines.

Nutramix has also been advised of the need to have a fire certificate.

Musson Jamaica, another food processing company, has also been served with an enforcement notice identifying several environmental breaches and concerns such as the requirement of a licence for discharging trade effluent and an environmental permit for the treatment facility.

NEPA pointed to an overflow pipe from the sewage pit, which ought to be closed off from entering the drain, petroleum storage tank to be bonded, remediation plan to be submitted for petroleum contamination, spill management plan and hazardous material training for staff.

Dairy Industries, a food manufacturer, was served with a breach notice on February 11 for the discharge of untreated effluent.

Food Ingredients Limited, which manufacturers margarine and emulsifier among other things, was served with a breach notice on February 4 for discharging trade effluent without a licence.

Cool Petroleum and Newport Fersan were served with a breach notice on February 2 and February 4 respectively.  Cool Petroleum was cited for installing petroleum storage tanks without a licence, while Newport Fersan, which imports and blends inorganic fertilizers was cited for a similar offence.

Cautioned

Red Stripe has been cautioned about the need for an environmental permit for petroleum storage and bonding all tanks storing hazardous material to a capacity of 120 per cent of the volume of the tank, while Jamaica Biscuit Company was cited for not having an environmental licence for discharging trade effluent and an environmental permit for the treatment facility.

The Jamaica Biscuit Company is further cited for not bonding of all tanks storing hazardous material to a capacity of 120 per cent of the volume of the tanks and the absence of a spill management plan and fire certification for the facility.

Caribbean Cement, JPS Hunts Bay and Jamaica Flour Mills were all sent warning letters last month for various environmental breaches such as failure to have a secondary containment for all liquids (except water) stored on the property.

Salada Food, which manufacturers instant coffee, Agro Grace, H.D. Hopwood, IGL, Pepsi Cola Jamaica, Caribbean Flavours & Fragrances, Edgechem, Quality Chemicals, Shirlhome Chemical Corporation and Johnson Diversey, which imports chemicals for retail, were among the companies sent warning letters.

The companies were cited for environmental breaches and concerns such as no spill response guidelines and fire certificates and bonded areas around solvents in need of repair.

Companies including Seprod, subsidiaries of Grace Foods, Jamaica Ethanol, Jamaica Livestock Supreme Feeds, Big City Brewery and City Butchery, a food processing company, were placed on the environmental watch list even though no environmental concerns were noted in the document.