The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) has issued two environmental permits to Noranda Jamaica Bauxite partners for the mining of over 1,300 hectares of land in St. Ann.
The permits were issued to Noranda on February 7.
In a release today, NEPA confirms that the permits are for a limited geographical area consisting of 1,333 hectares of land.
It says the permits include the GPS coordinates for the boundaries of the area released.
The first environmental permit allows for the mining and quarrying of bauxite, peat, sand, minerals including aggregates, construction, and industrial material, metallic and non-metallic ores.
While the second allows for the clearing of six hectares or more of vegetation, excluding agricultural holdings under production.
NEPA notes that the permit for mining contains 75 conditions, while the permit for the clearing of vegetation has 50 conditions.
It says the conditions include mitigation measures to address impacts on biodiversity, water resources, and heritage sites and features.
Air quality and socio-economic impacts are also addressed.
