The Government of Jamaica (GOJ) is advancing its efforts to safeguard human health and the environment with the implementation of the 4th phase of the ban on specific types of single-use plastic products. This policy target remains paramount.

The Government has however acknowledged concerns from stakeholders and decided to extend the implementation period by an additional month, to fine-tune administrative arrangements, facilitate further stakeholder engagement, and ramp up additional public education.

Sen. the Hon. Matthew Samuda, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, in addressing the extended implementation time, has made the point that “this additional one-month period will cause very little trade disruptions, but will enhance market readiness for the necessary changes”.

He went on to state that “Jamaica is progressing in line with implementing the measures that have proven to reduce Plastic waste, but in a manner that creates the least inflationary impact and trade disruptions”.

This phase targets single-use plastic food containers and microplastics in cosmetic and personal care products, marking a significant step towards regulating plastics from manufacture to disposal.

Effective July 1, 2024, the importation, distribution, sale, or use of any single-use plastic food container made wholly or in part of polyethylene, polypropylene, or polylactic acid (PLA) will be prohibited. This ban, however, excludes related transparent plastic lids until environmentally friendly alternatives become available. Additionally, existing stock imported before this date will be exempt.

Effective July 1, 2025, the ban will extend to personal care and cosmetic products containing intentionally added plastic microbeads or microplastics. This measure allows for thorough consultation and sensitization among private sector stakeholders and regulatory authorities, ensuring a smooth transition.

The Technical Working Group on single-use plastic products, comprising senior officers from various Agencies including the Bureau of Standards Jamaica and the National Compliance and Regulatory Authority, has been instrumental in shaping this phase of the ban. The Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation has also engaged with the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association and major importers and distributors of single-use plastic products to ensure comprehensive stakeholder input.

To facilitate the new regulations, amendments to The Trade (Plastic Packaging Materials Prohibition) Order, 2018 will be made. These include:

• Expanding the definition of ‘single-use plastic’ to encompass plastic food containers and cosmetic care products with microbeads or microplastics.
• Exempting transparent plastic lids related to single-use plastic food containers.
• Retaining the existing prohibition measures.

Importers will be required to submit a pre-shipment declaration, including a quality or inspection certificate from an internationally recognized accreditation body, to aid regulatory agencies in identifying target products at ports.

Plastic, while beneficial due to its inexpensive, flexible, durable, and lightweight characteristics, poses significant environmental hazards. Non-biodegradable plastics break down into microplastics, contaminating the food chain and marine environment. Marine animals often mistake these microplastics for food, leading to adverse ecological impacts.

The GOJ is committed to mitigating the environmental and health impacts of plastic pollution through stringent regulation of plastic products across their life cycle. This phased approach aims to promote sustainable practices and protect the natural ecosystem for future generations.

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Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda says two medium-term projects are to be implemented under the Western Water Resilience Programme at a cost of US$160 million.

Updating stakeholders during a Stakeholder meeting on Water Resilience in Western Jamaica, at the Grand Palladium in Hanover yesterday (May 29, 2024), Minister Samuda said the projects are part of a carefully crafted suite of investments, aimed at increasing the resilience of the western section of the island in the face of a changing climate and erratic weather patterns.

He noted that the first project involves the upgrading of the transmission mains from the Martha Brae Treatment Plant to the Terminal Reservoir.

“From the Martha Brae Treatment Plant to the Terminal Reservoir is line one, that we intend to replace with a larger carrying capacity and a new modern line that hopefully will give us 40 to 50 years of reliable transmission of water from Martha Brae into Terminal.  That will reduce some of the pressures from Great River which then pumps East, because Martha Brae is able to produce more water.   We will be asking the WRA (Water Resources Authority) to increase the license for all of our extraction points within what is (considered) safe and healthy for these water systems” the Minister explained.

Minister Samuda further noted that the increase in supply from Martha Brae to Montego Bay, will further reduce the pressure on the Great River system.

“So that pipeline being reliable and reducing your NRW (Non-Revenue Water) significantly in St. James, will have a benefit as far as West End and the people that are served by Bulstrode” the Minister noted.

He added that the second project, would address the line from Lucea into Logwood.

“That line will be replaced and upgraded as well, but that’s not the first part that has to be done to reduce the significant leakage that you have. So, the works will start in Lucea and will go all the way to the western end of Negril. What that will do, is allow Great River to supplement what is a system in crisis, which is the Logwood System, because you will have one straight flow that allows for stronger supplies” he explained.

The Minister added that the pipes would be part of a greater (interlinked) system.

“This is a part of a greater concept that we have, which will build a bit of a ring road of pipes, so that whenever a system is low, you are able to supplement from another system,  because as we are seeing with the rainfall data,  it is very haphazard and it is becoming harder and harder to predict with the rate of climate change that we’re experiencing” the Minister stated.

Minister Samuda said the two lines will be done on a design and build contract, through direct contracting, because of the emergency circumstances.

He said that the phasing and Gantt Chart for the project, envisions four to six weeks of engineering which has started, with an initial expenditure of $32 million, adding that the Government has committed the resources to purchase and install the pipeline.  The timeline for the project is 18 months.

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Short-term projects to alleviate the drought facing businesses and communities in Western Jamaica, which were previously announced at a stakeholder meeting in Negril on April 4, are reaping success.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda provided an update yesterday (May 29, 2024) on the projects to stakeholders, during a special meeting on Water Resilience in Western Jamaica, at the Grand Palladium in Hanover.

The Minister noted that six major leaks along the distribution network in Negril were repaired over the last two months, to reduce the significant Non-Revenue Water (NRW) issue in the area.

He added that repair work along the Salt Creek Bridge stretch, which had been a source of deep concern would be completed within the next two weeks.

The Minister also announced that works along the stretch from the West End to Red Ground which has a particularly degraded distribution network, would be completed in three weeks.

“For those who would have had a chance you would have seen that the pipes to do 1.2 kilometers of line replacement were actually delivered on Monday (May 27).  Heavy equipment was moved into the space yesterday,  and work started today. When one adds up the work in the West End,  the work on Salt Creek Bridge, and the additional line works that have been done,  we expect to be saving approximately one million gallons that were being pumped into the ground”, he explained.

Minister Samuda added that work would be done on four major areas of degradation in Hanover, over the next eight weeks.

Continuing with the short-term measures, Minister Samuda also stated that the decalcification or “pigging” of the Great River system was completed on Friday (May 24, 2024).

“That’s a major step for St. James,  Hanover, and Westmoreland because that water at Great River comes back to Terminal in St. James and pumps westerly down towards Green Island.   It never used to be able to get to Green Island.  What that means is that the Logwood Plant, that used to pump both easterly and westerly will now be focused on pumping and supplying purely westerly.  So the Norman Manley Beach Road and the road going up to the West End, once that work is done on the distribution line, should see significant improvement”, the Minister explained.
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Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the National Water Commission, will be moving to address the infrastructural issues with the water distribution network between Braeton and Hellshire in St. Catherine.

Speaking on Friday, May 17, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour of the Hellshire Phase 3 Booster Pump Station at Fort Hill in Hellshire, Minister Samuda stated that updates on the line between Braeton and Hellshire will be provided in the next quarter.

“We do say to residents that in the next quarter, we should be able to provide some updates because we do not intend to go into the next drought season in this area with particular infrastructural weaknesses that you have. So we’re looking at how best to tailor that solution and we’ll be working with all our partners certainly the NWC and MIYA”, he stated.

The Minister further noted that the Non-Revenue Water (NRW) project had been successful in reducing the volume of water lost to breaks and theft in the Portmore area, from 70 percent to approximately 40 percent.

“We are working with the National Water Commission and indeed with MIYA to ensure that this figure comes down. I believe we are now in the 40s. The next step, which is that major line from Braeton into Hellshire, will take us much closer to our targeted goal and we’ll be working through the details in that regard. That is how you build water resilience. There are many other facets. We need to increase storage, we need to increase pumping capacity, find new sources, etc., but we cannot continue the broken distribution network nationally,” the Minister emphasized.

Meanwhile, approximately 400 residents of the Fort Hill Estate Community are now benefitting from improved supply pressure; the termination of trucking arrangements, and continuous water supply, following the construction of the Hellshire Phase 3 Booster Pump Station at Fort Hill.

The Fort Hill area was impacted by infrequent water supply and required adjustments to the National Water Commission’s piped network, as well as continuous trucking arrangements to meet the shortfall.

“This community was in need of upgrades. The pumping infrastructure behind us is some J$5 million. The additional works that have been done to connect and some additional piping works were an additional J$5 million. So it’s not the size (of the) announcements that we normally make on a weekly basis, but it is an important one. Ultimately people need to know that they are heard and they need to know that when representation is made, the appropriate allocations follow”, the Minister explained.

The scope of works on the project included the supply and installation of Two (2) Vertical Multistage centrifugal pump units; the installation of suction and discharge pipelines; as well as the installation of flow meters, valves, and various appurtenances.

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Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, has announced that the Government will invest in the Black River Town Centre Line to Arlington/Parrottee in St. Elizabeth this year.

“We do have in this year’s budget and procurement, the Black River town Centre line to Arlington/Parrottee, which will improve the water supply for 4,000 citizens at a cost of $238 million”, the Minister stated.

Minister Samuda made the announcement on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the commissioning of the fourth and final phase of the Hounslow Water Supply and Upgrade Project, at Hopewell in St, Elizabeth.

Assuring the citizens of St. Elizabeth that the Government is actively developing projects that will transform the water sector, Minister Samuda noted that several projects in St. Elizabeth are at varying stages of development, including massive investments in Pedro Plains and Essex Valley.

In the meantime, Minister Samuda explained that the 4th phase of the Hounslow Water Supply and Upgrade Project, which was completed at a cost of J$180 million, involved the replacement of the aged pipeline from the Hounslow Pumping Station, to transfer water via Newell, Williamsfield and Hopewell, for distribution to surrounding areas, including Fort Charles.

The Minister noted that the completion of phases one to three of the project at a cost of over $340.9 million and serving 3,208 customers, represents commitments made to the citizens in 2015.

“Phase one of this project was completed. We established the well in Hopewell, it was the replacement for the failed Parrottee Well.  We then installed a significant length of four-inch distribution pipes and some 10-inch and 8-inch ductile pipes.  Phases 2A and B, now completed, were the Hounslow Well Site going into Newell Square, and we installed a significant number of pipes.  We completed phase 3A and that replacement dealt with the lines going into Barbury Hall.  Phase 3B is now complete, which is the Williamsfield Square to Hopewell where we replaced some 1.6 kilometers of pipes. I am very happy that the commitments made in 2015 have been fulfilled”, the Minister stated.

The communities to benefit from the 4th phase of the project include Newell, Little Park, Pedro, Watchwell, Short Hill/Beacon, Great & Calabash Bays, Hopewell, Fort Charles, Parottee, Williamsfield, Barbury Hall, Fullerswood, Arlington and their environs.

Customers in these areas can expect improved service delivery, as well as a reduction in the need for regular trucking in the area, while the NWC will benefit from a reduction in the existing level of Non-Revenue Water in the Hounslow Water Supply System.

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Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the National Water Commission, will be moving to address the infrastructural issues with the water distribution network between Braeton and Hellshire in St. Catherine.

Speaking on Friday, May 17, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour of the Hellshire Phase 3 Booster Pump Station at Fort Hill in Hellshire, Minister Samuda stated that updates on the line between Braeton and Hellshire will be provided in the next quarter.

“We do say to residents that in the next quarter, we should be able to provide some updates because we do not intend to go into the next drought season in this area with particular infrastructural weaknesses that you have. So we’re looking at how best to tailor that solution and we’ll be working with all our partners certainly the NWC and MIYA”, he stated.

The Minister further noted that the Non-Revenue Water (NRW) project had been successful in reducing the volume of water lost to breaks and theft in the Portmore area, from 70 percent to approximately 40 percent.

“We are working with the National Water Commission and indeed with MIYA to ensure that this figure comes down. I believe we are now in the 40s. The next step, which is that major line from Braeton into Hellshire, will take us much closer to our targeted goal and we’ll be working through the details in that regard. That is how you build water resilience. There are many other facets. We need to increase storage, we need to increase pumping capacity, find new sources, etc., but we cannot continue the broken distribution network nationally,” the Minister emphasized.

Meanwhile, approximately 400 residents of the Fort Hill Estate Community are now benefitting from improved supply pressure; the termination of trucking arrangements, and continuous water supply, following the construction of the Hellshire Phase 3 Booster Pump Station at Fort Hill.

The Fort Hill area was impacted by infrequent water supply and required adjustments to the National Water Commission’s piped network, as well as continuous trucking arrangements to meet the shortfall.

“This community was in need of upgrades. The pumping infrastructure behind us is some J$5 million. The additional works that have been done to connect and some additional piping works were an additional J$5 million. So it’s not the size (of the) announcements that we normally make on a weekly basis, but it is an important one. Ultimately people need to know that they are heard and they need to know that when representation is made, the appropriate allocations follow”, the Minister explained.

The scope of works on the project included the supply and installation of Two (2) Vertical Multistage centrifugal pump units; the installation of suction and discharge pipelines; as well as the installation of flow meters, valves, and various appurtenances.

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Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are predicting that heat records will be shattered in 2024, with a 99 percent chance that 2024 will rank among the planet’s five warmest years on record.

Given these dire predictions, a three-day workshop aimed at assessing the current capacity and challenges in advancing  Heat-Health Early Warning Systems (HHEWS) got underway today (April 16, 2024) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in Downtown Kingston.

The workshop, which is spearheaded by the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC), in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) and NOAA, brings together climate and health stakeholders in the Caribbean, to develop heatwave forecasting tools for the Caribbean and prepare heat hazard outlooks.

Addressing the workshop, Chief Scientist at NOAA, Dr. Sarah Kapnick, said the heat records are being shattered at a very high rate.

“Earth’s average land-ocean temperatures have gone up tremendously over the years.  2023 was two point twelve (2.12) degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th century average.  This beats the next warmest year, set in 2016 during an El Nino by a record margin of point-two-seven, (.27) degrees Fahrenheit”, she explained.

Dr. Kapnick, said the statistics make it clear that global warming, along with excessive heat will continue to impact communities and that governments must work together to help communities prepare for this extreme hazard.

“We are here to identify extreme heat hazard events to understand how they impact human health and what we can do to prevent such impacts.  In the United States,  excessive heat is currently the leading cause of weather-related deaths and that is expected to go up.   The elderly and the young are especially vulnerable.  With climate change, the heat events are expected to become more frequent, more extreme, and longer in duration”, she noted.

Meanwhile, Director of the Meteorological Services Division, Evan Thompson explained that the workshop was launched under the (United States) President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE) programme.

“This is an initiative of the President of the United States, President Biden,  he indicated that he would provide grant funding to assist countries that needed to become more resilient to climate change in various ways, and it’s a joined-up Government thing. So there are a number of agencies in the United States Government that have come together to be part of that initiative and then they support the work of countries like ours in the Caribbean region…so this is the Caribbean launch that we’re having today”, he explained.

Following the workshop, NOAA will train the meteorologists in the Caribbean in the use of heat wave forecasting tools, interpretation of the forecasts, and the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for mapping the heat hazard outlooks.  NOAA will also work with two pilot countries in the Caribbean to integrate the heat wave forecasts with health vulnerability data, to issue warnings and alerts when necessary.

The workshop is being attended by professionals from the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs), the Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), Health Districts, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the World Meteorological Organization RA-IV Regional Office, Non-Governmental Organizations such as Red Cross, local authorities, and community organizations.

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In delivering an update to the nation at a Post-Cabinet Press Briefing today at the Office of the Prime Minister, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda said that the Government has activated a national emergency response to address the drought conditions.

“The Government did not allow the drought to creep up on us. The Government through the IWRMC (Integrated Water Resources Management Council) meets and has a Drought Management Committee that meets in and out of the drought season to fine-tune its emergency response when we know this (drought season) comes”, Minister Samuda said.

Minister Samuda reiterated the Prime Minister’s declaration of allocating $150 million to support water trucking and the acquisition and distribution of water tanks to regions facing water shortages caused by ongoing drought conditions. He also outlined some of the additional measures that will be taken this year.

“We will break ground later this year for the Forest Hills line and communities surrounding Red Hills and Cooper’s Hill, which have always had a lack of water, will benefit from the improved water supply. So, we are building in resilience, and we will continue to cut NRW (Non-Revenue Water),” he said.

Minister Samuda said in 2015 there was a need for 55 million gallons of water for the corporate area daily, but with all the development and investments that the Government has in place, there is now a need for 38 million gallons of water daily in the Corporate Area.

For this year, the Government has $5 billion of capital works programmed for potable water, $2.5 billion of infrastructure works for sewage, and $1.6 billion spent through Rural Water.

Minister Samuda highlighted two main projects that are on stream for this year. He said the pilot Non-Revenue water projects in Kingston and St. Andrew and Portmore “gave us the route and transaction design to go to tender for a national NRW programme, which we expect to last some 10 years. Ten years because that is the volume of construction that will be required to change out, in some cases, pipes that are 70 and 80 years old, most cases 40 years. So, we accept that we have a major distribution challenge, but we are facing it, and this partnership is an investment of US$300 million”.

“Another major project is dubbed the Western Water Resilience Strategy. It has several components, and we expect to require some US$209 million to handle developments from Trelawny around to Savanna la Mar in Westmoreland. But two elements this year that we will be moving on are the replacement of the mains that go in St. James and that goes into Negril”, Minister Samuda said.

Minister Samuda said these pipes have passed their useful life and will be replaced at US$70 million.

“These two major pipelines will significantly add to the resilience in the western end of the island that will be aligned from the Martha Brae into St. James specifically Montego Bay and aligned from Ruseas into Negril. These lines will both increase capacity and increase resilience, we expect to execute this over two years because of the volume of construction that is required”, Minister Samuda said.
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Twelve (12) students from several school regions across Jamaica, were recently awarded scholarships valued at $25,000 towards their educational development, courtesy of the Youth Environmental Advocacy Programme (YEAP) of the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation.

The students were winners of an essay competition, which was part of the 11th staging of the YEAP, launched in February 2024 under the theme, “Wata Brings Life”.   The topic for the essay competition was “Discuss the effects of climate change on Jamaica’s water resources and food security”.

The winners were Suhari Kumar of Campion College; T-Shannae Minott of Holy Childhood High; Kyla Nightingale of Immaculate Conception High; Rashida Nelson of Browns’ Town High; Tomaya Martin of Westwood High; and Mia Vaughn, the sole eleven-year-old winner from Somerset Primary and Infant School.

Other winners included Kemar Duhaney and Sheldon Hayes from Herbert Morrison Technical; Shenae Turner of Manchester High; Akeeliah Wiggins of Glenmuir; Jadvia Grant of Bridgeport High and Ohemma Blake of Old Harbour High.

Addressing the winners, Director General in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Dr. Sharon Morrison noted that the YEAP is necessary as youth are fundamental to the process of achieving a healthier and more sustainable environment.  She added that their advocacy is becoming increasingly important in a world where climate change-induced challenges as well as environmental risks are increasingly becoming the norm.

“Because they represent the future of our country, and as such, will disproportionately bear the consequences of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss, the views and indeed the voices of our youths, are an important part of the discourse on how to treat with these issues, in order to ensure better, more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable actions that will have long-term impacts on lives and livelihoods”, she stated.

The Youth Environmental Advocacy Programme (YEAP) which was conceptualized and spearheaded by the Environmental and Risk Management Branch (ERMB) of the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, is one of the ways in which Jamaica’s youth is engaged in addressing environmental and climatic challenges.

The YEAP was officially launched on June 30, 2016, with the objectives of increasing the capacity of youth to become advocates for the environment; promoting environmental stewardship; fostering constructive dialogue and proactive engagement of the youth in the development of environment-related policies /plans and programmes and sharing strategies and best practices.

The programme is open to all young persons between the ages of 11 and 19.
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The Government will be upgrading several beaches across the island for public access.

This was announced on Thursday, March 24, 2024, by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, during his 2024-2025 Budget Presentation in the House of Representatives.

According to Prime Minister Holness, the existing Fantasy Beach Park in Priory St Ann will be developed into a Parish Beach Park, similar to Harmony Beach Park in Montego Bay.

“Beyond the 2024/2025 budget year, we will be developing the Boston Beach Park in Portland and we will do a major beach park in Negril”, he added.

Other beaches slated for upgrading include the Watson Taylor Park in Hanover; Success Beach in St. James; Priory in St. Ann; Rio Nuevo and Murdock Beaches in St. Mary; Winnifred Beach in Portland, Rocky Point in St. Thomas; Guts River in Manchester as well as Crane Road and Alligator Pond in St. Elizabeth.

The Prime Minister also reported that the Beach Access and Management Policy is complete and would be tabled at the next sitting of the House.

The Policy seeks to ensure Jamaica’s beaches are preserved and sustainably managed for present and future generations, and provision is made for access of Jamaicans and visitors alike.

“I’ve listened very carefully to the debates around beach access.  I had to do it because the Policy falls under the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation and we have spent a lot of time going through the Policy because the issues are fundamental.  We are dealing with the rights of the people. We are dealing with people’s prescriptive rights. We are dealing with property rights. We are dealing with people’s right to enjoy their environment and we have to go through all of them carefully, but one thing must be sure, Jamaicans are entitled to access their beaches” the Prime Minister explained.
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