There’s been a resounding rejection of the $16 million compensation offered to fishers and other community members affected by the latest contamination of the Rio Cobre in St Catherine. This rejection has come from the St. Catherine Parish Development Committee, whose Vice-Chairman, Kestonard Gordon, is threatening to take further action to secure much larger compensation. Senator Mathew Samuda, Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, made the compensation announcement on Wednesday. He said the $16 million was to be paid from the $117 millilon Environmental Performance Bond which the National Environment & Planning Agency (NEPA) has drawn down from UCRusal/Windalco. Mr Gordon, speaking on Radio Jamaica’s Beyond the Headlines, was insistent however that this figure should be at least twice that figure. He also rejected the explanation given by Senator Samuda that the bond was not designed to compensate community members. Accordingly, Mr Gordon said his organization had no choice but to take the matter further to secure additional compensation. Attorney-at-Law Dr. Marcus Goffe, who represents some of the affected residents, is also suggesting that legal action is likely because of the concerns residents have over the methodology used to calculate the compensation. He contends that it was not inclusive or transparent enough.
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