Expansion exposing Falmouth to environmental peril
THERE ARE fears that a direct hit from a major storm could l eave Falmouth under water as the expansion of the seaside town has interfered with its natural drainage.
The Trelawny capital is steadily being expanded towards Martha Brae to the south, at an environmental cost, as the surrounding mangroves and drains which channel water to the sea are being dumped to facilitate the expansion, crippling the town’s main defence against flooding.
At the 2017 Falmouth Heritage Expo, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett stated that the Tourism
Enhancement Fund had spent $190 million on improvement projects on the Georgian town, which is now the hub of cruise shipping in the Caribbean. He also announced that another $1.1 billion would be spent on other projects to expand the town.
It would appear that t he safeguards against the destruction of the mangroves under the Town and Country Planning Tree Preservation Act of 1967, which was temporarily suspended in 2008 to facilitate the dumping of rubble from the expansion of the cruise ship pier, have not been reinstated, exposing the town to possible peril.
“This act was put on hold in 2008 by the National Environment and Protection Agency (NEPA) to provide a place for rubble from the pier expansion to be dumped. This meant more destruction of the mangroves. NEPA is now putting back the act to prevent further dumping of the mangroves,” said Roland Haye, regional coordinator for the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management.
Prior to t he start of t he expansion, which includes facilities such as the new Falmouth Municipal Market along Market Street, both sides of the one-mile stretch from Martha Brae into the town were covered by mangroves. They have largely made way for new businesses, including gas stations, supermarkets and food outlets as the natural drainage mechanism takes a hit.
“They (the new buildings) are built on raised lands, making Market Street a gutter to have water flow into the town. Any time we have a north-tracking storm, Falmouth will be completely flooded,” warned Haye.
Trelawny Custos Paul Muschett and the Reverend Devere Nugent, the outspoken former pastor of the William Knibb Memorial Baptist Church, have raised concerns about the situation in the past.
“I go to disaster preparedness meetings and express the dangers we face in the way activities are
approved for the expansion of the town. My recommendations are generally ignored,” the custos said.
Nugent, who emerged as a defender of social concerns, called on the decision-makers to listen to the experts.
“The people making the decisions must become good listeners. They must take advice from people who are trained in
disaster management. The town’s existence demands no less,” said Nugent.
NWA CEO Peter Knight had not responded to Gleaner questions submitted to him on the matter, as he requested.