Dateline: July 10, 2002

Thirty-day period for comment on Draft Air Quality Regulations ends July 31

The National Environment & Planning Agency is advising stakeholders and the general public of the opportunity to comment on the Draft Air Quality Regulations during a thirty-day period that will end on July 31, 2002.  The Chief Parliamentary Council (CPC) has returned the draft regulations to the Ministry of Land and Environment for comments before gazetting.

Copies of the Draft Air Quality Regulations have been circulated to stakeholders and can be accessed on our web-site at www.nepa.gov.jm or at the NEPA Documentation.

Comments should be in writing and must be received no later than July 31, 2002.

All comments received by this date will be collated and addressed by the National Air Quality Standards Sub-committee.  Comments should be addressed to

The Technical Secretary

National Air Quality Standards Sub-committee

Environmental Standards and Regulations Branch,

National Environment and Planning Agency

10 Caledonia Avenue, Kingston 5.

Email address: esr@nepa.gov.jm.

The Air Quality Regulations relate to Section 38 of the Natural Resources Conservation Act of 1991, is slated to come into effect on September 1, 2002.  The regulations are the primary means for managing emissions from industrial sources.  The Regulations focus mainly on requirements for industrial sources to obtain air pollutant discharge licences; stack emission standards for new sources and targets for existing sources as well as ambient air quality guidelines for a wide range of toxic pollutants. 

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The regulations do not address emissions from mobile sources or from non-industrial sources such as burning of agricultural crops or backyard farming.