Establishing An Environmental Regulatory Authority in Jamaica

In November 2010, the Prime Minister of Jamaica tabled Green Paper 2/2010 ‘Establishing An Environmental Regulatory Authority“. The paper outlines key reforms that will give Jamaica a modern, fully integrated planning and regulatory system. This will deliver multiple goals; robust environmental protection, rapid approval for developments on non-sensitive sites, a more transparent development process, and a more efficient use of government resources. The key steps recommended are :

1. To establish an Environmental Regulatory Agency (ERA), and to transfer NEPA’s responsibility for environmental monitoring and enforcement to this new agency.
2. To revamp NEPA to be the National Planning and Development Agency (NPDA) with responsibility for developing, maintaining and updating a National Spatial Plan, and the lead role in helping to solve environmental problems, via education, outreach, advisory assistance and training workshops.

Further to some initial objections to the proposal and earlier requests for feedback from the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee of Parliament (PAAC)  the Green Paper is now going through the required consultations to become a White Paper.  As a part of the consultative process the Office of the Cabinet is inviting the general public to review and comment on the Environmental Regulatory Authority’s Green Paper.  Please visit www.cabinet.gov.jm/era to download a copy of the document and post your feedback by the end of January 2012.