Dust nuisance concerns residents in Harmons

Some residents in the community of Harmons, Manchester, are complaining about dust particles from a Jamalco mining site, which they say have been ruining their crops and properties, and for which they are yet to get any compensation.

Burchell Spurgion, a farmer in the community, told THE STAR trees have been dying in recent times and this is to be blamed on the dust nuisance.

"Breadfruit tree die. Coconut tree die. Orange tree dem die out. The grapefruit tree dem die out, and it's all because of the dust. When the dust come down, we don't have no regular rainfall to wash it away, so it affect those plants and we don't have nobody to talk to," Spurgion said.

NO RUNNING WATER

According to residents, the community has been without running water for a number of years and this has caused them to rely on rain water for domestic purposes.

"Most of us catch water off our roofs and you have to wait until the rain fall to wash off the dust. When dat happen, a probably dat time you can set you gutter to get some water," Spurgion said.

While the dust is a problem, another resident, Sherieka Morrison, said that the noise from the trucks used on the mining site are affecting her young child.

"Di big truck dem weh a draw di brakes wake up mi baby early inna di morning," Morrison said.

The residents said that only those persons living within 300 feet of the mining site are being compensated.

However, corporate services manager for Jamalco, Donna-Marie Brooks Gordon, said that the policy of the company is that persons within 600 feet are compensated for dust and noise nuisance.

"Based on law, those persons within 300 feet have to be compensated, but we go up to 600 feet," Brooks-Gordon said.

According to her, if there is a complaint from a resident, a team from Jamalco would investigate and residents would be compensated if their complaints are proven to be true.