The Office of The Children’s Advocate (OCA) has taken note of reports concerning the impact that smoke from the Riverton Landfill is having on children in the parishes of Kingston, St. Andrew and St. Catherine. The OCA has received reports of schools having to effect early closure on Friday, March 13, 2015 as well as children who have had to seek medical attention/treatment because of the inhalation of the smoke. It is visibly evident that there is a change in the air quality as a result of the on-going fire at the garbage disposal facility and also the poor visibility occasioned as a result.
Children’s Advocate, Mrs. Diahann Gordon Harrison, noted that the situation at the Riverton Landfill is a recurrent problem as well as a public nuisance that needs to be addressed in a sustained way. “I am mindful that the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), the Jamaica Fire Brigade, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), and other partners have been working to contain the fire at Riverton and I note the efforts that they are making. However, as Children’s Advocate I am particularly concerned about the health hazard that this situation poses and the negative impact it can have on children’s respiratory health and overall well-being. The fact also of the interruption to their education is not to be overlooked, especially at a time when final preparations are in earnest for the upcoming Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) and other critical examinations. These fires at the Landfill seem to occur quite frequently and they result in the deleterious impact of the disruption of schools, and our children having to seek medical attention for respiratory ailments that are often times exacerbated by the air quality caused by the smoke emitting from the Landfill during the fires.”
The OCA trusts that the relevant stakeholders will contain the problem within the time frame as outlined in the permit for the management of the Riverton Landfill issued by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), as the continuous closure of schools and other educational facilities which cater to our children cannot continue. The health hazard is also of great concern. Under the Child Care and Protection Act (CCPA) children have a right to a safe and healthy environment, and all measures must be implemented to safeguard this right.
