Pollution incident reported in Rio Cobre waters, St. Catherine

The Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) received a disturbing video early on June 24, 2024, showing the greenish-coloured, polluted waters of the Rio Cobre at Zephyrton, St. Catherine.

The Rio Cobre is a river in Jamaica. Its source is Rose Hall Mountain in the northeast of Saint Catherine Parish, and the headwaters are a writhing of unnamed, seasonally dry tributaries.

The footage, captured by a member of the Friends of Rio Cobre, was promptly forwarded to the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), the National Fisheries Authority (NFA), Senator Matthew Samuda, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth & Job Creation, and members of the media.

In swift response, NEPA and NFA dispatched a team to the site to collect water quality samples and assess the situation. Preliminary results from the water quality tests indicated elevated pH levels, indicating the presence of bauxite effluent discharge. However, NEPA has yet to identify the organisation responsible officially.

NEPA said, "An on-site test by the NEPA team confirmed an elevation in the river's pH, consistent with the occurrence of a particular contamination that could have negatively impacted the river and was likely the likely cause of the fish's death. The team has collected water samples for further laboratory analysis to determine the source and confirm the type of contaminant."

Note: Information gathered from The Jamaica Gleaner

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