Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Frank Witter, says the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI) plays a pivotal role in research and governance related to bauxite residue management.

“Through regular reviews of the industry’s environmental performance, JBI ensures necessary corrective actions are implemented. Furthermore, the Institute promotes research and development aimed at identifying the new technologies for cleaner, more efficient production process and waste minimisation,” he noted.

Mr. Witter was addressing the opening ceremony for the JBI International Workshop on Bauxite Residue and Mud Disposal Legacy Issues, at the ROK Hotel in downtown Kingston, on July 15.

He said the bauxite residue closure plan, which is currently in effect at Mount Rosser in St. Catherine, is a part of Alcan’s exit agreement in 2002.

The State Minister added that it is now subsumed into Rio Tinto to address its environmental impact on land ownership.

“At the time, there were no fully developed closure plan guidelines by the regulators, the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA). [There is] an industry-specific framework for red mud ponds, and the JBI oversees the closure of these sites, ensuring adherence to this framework,” he said.

“The success of the closure plan at the Kirkvine Ponds completed in 2013 is a testament to the effectiveness of these initiatives. The red mud has been entirely covered with vegetation and the return of soil and fauna, including snails, lizards and birds signifies the restoration of the ecosystem,” the State Minister said.

Red mud is waste related to bauxite processing.

Mr. Witter pointed out that in 2001 the Government appointed the JBI to negotiate closure agreements with Alcan, making the first such agreement in Jamaica.

“Alcan, now a part of Rio Tinto, retains responsibility for out-of-use bauxite residue sites at two locations with the goal of safe remediation and returning ownership to the Government of Jamaica. The success of Kirkvine Ponds suggests that these agreements provide excellent templates for future closure of bauxite residue storage sites by other operators of bauxite and alumina companies in Jamaica,” he said.

Mr. Witter urged all the participants in the three-day workshop to continue working towards innovative solutions and strong collaboration for the sector and its impact on communities.

“Together we can ensure a sustainable future for Jamaica and the global bauxite industry,” he added.

He said the forum brings together industry stakeholders and leaders from around the world, noting that it provides an essential platform for dialogue while building on international best practices for the closure of bauxite residue sites.

“The JBI has consistently demonstrated positive engagement with local stakeholders, multinational companies and international research partners. This collaborative approach is crucial as we strive to manage bauxite residue more effectively,” the State Minister said.

He noted that the three-day workshop marks the first of its kind since 1998 when JBI held the international workshop on the rehabilitation of mined bauxite lands and red mud disposal ponds.

Some of the other attendees at the workshop included Former Executive Director, JBI, Parris Lyew-Ayee; Senior Environmental Officer, JBI, Shanti Persaud; Consultant, Safety and Environment, JISCO/Alpart, Andrene Jones; General Manager, Jamalco, Marvin Jackson; and District Manager-Closure, Rio Tinto, Fraser Thomson.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been signed between the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI) and Papine High School for the utilisation of a greenhouse to advance the school’s agriculture programme.

The signing took place recently at the JBI in St Andrew where the greenhouse is located.

The partnership is intended to equip the students in greenhouse growing techniques to meet the demands of a modern agricultural sector.

Under the MOU, the JBI will provide technical assistance, seedlings, and other support, while maintenance and upkeep of the greenhouse will be shared between the parties.

The agreement will be effective for three years with the potential for renewal.

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Mining, Floyd Green, in his remarks, commended the partnership, which he said, is in line with the ministry’s drive to revitalise the school garden programme and introduce students to the latest techniques in agriculture.

“It doesn’t make sense that we [talk about] pick and hoe when agriculture is past that and is now at drones, greenhouse technology, hydroponics, and aeroponics. We must see how we can enhance our partnerships with our schools to ensure that they have the technology that they need to do this innovative form of agriculture,” he said.

General Manager, JBI, Yolanda Drakapoulos, said the initiative represents a shared vision for the future of education and agriculture in Jamaica.

“This MOU not only marks a new chapter of collaboration, growth, and opportunity for both our institutions but is a testament to the bauxite and alumina industry’s commitment to Brand Jamaica and its people. The JBI is ready to replicate this project in other locations within the urban space once given the resources,” she said.

Fourteen tertiary-level students have benefited from scholarships totaling $7 million under the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI) Hoilett/Lambert Scholarship.

The presentations were made during the official launch of the scholarship programme at the JBI’s Hope Gardens location in St. Andrew on Friday (Sept. 13)

The students, who are from bauxite-producing parishes across the island, received $500,000 each to support their studies in diverse fields such as agriculture, engineering, geoscience, education, biology, and information technology.

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, congratulated the students, who are the inaugural recipients of the scholarship.

He noted that the selection process was rigorous.

“We saw over 500 students applying so you can imagine how difficult it was to narrow it down to these 14. This is our first year and you are the first batch of JBI Hoilett/Lambert scholars. How you do will be a direct reflection on the programme and how well the programme will do in the years to come,” he said.

Minister Green encouraged the students to excel in their fields of study, noting that they have a valuable contribution to make to the country.

“When you have completed your journey, we don’t expect you to leave us. Hopefully, some of you will find a place in the public service or at the JBI and hopefully, we will be able to employ some of you because we now know that you are the best of the best,” he said.

Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams, in her remarks, noted that the scholarship programme by the JBI is an investment in the students and the communities from which they come.

“When businesses give back, they uplift not just individuals but entire communities. This scholarship goes far beyond financial support; it lays on you [scholarship awardees] the responsibility to make the most of this opportunity to contribute to your community and to carry forward this legacy of excellence,” she said.

General Manager at the JBI, Yolanda Drakapoulos, noted the Institute’s commitment to the development of bauxite communities.

“All of our work is [focused on] improving the lives of Jamaicans through education, agriculture, healthcare and infrastructure. This is done with one overarching goal in mind, and that is to ensure that earnings from the mineral that has put us on the map are felt by everyone,” she said.

The JBI Hoilett/Lambert Scholarship represents a significant investment in the educational advancement of students from the bauxite-producing parishes of St. Ann, Manchester, St. Elizabeth, Clarendon and St. Catherine, empowering them to pursue their academic dreams and contribute to national development.

It was initiated in honour of the late Dr. Nigel Hoilett and the late Dr. Hugh Lambert, both former research specialists at the JBI, who provided exemplary service to the Bauxite Community Development Programme (BCDP).

Jamaica more than doubled its export earnings from mining and quarrying for the first 10 months of 2023, compared with the similar period in 2022.

The Statistical Institute of Jamaica says the industry sent US$473.3 million worth of goods overseas.

That’s compared with the US$216.5 million made for January to October 2022.

The increased income was linked to a US$250.2 million rise in earnings from alumina.

Alumina earnings amounted to US$395.7 million, compared with US$145.5 million for the corresponding period in 2022.

The resumption of operations at Jamalco in Clarendon after a fire also positioned the country to ramp up mining related activities.

The value of bauxite exports, however, came in 8.2 per cent lower at US$57.8 million.

The Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI) has made significant strides in channeling the revenues from bauxite mining back into the affected communities.

He was speaking at a National Minerals Week Mining/Minerals Sector Conference at Northern Caribbean University (NCU) on May 6.

According to JIS News, Kemoy Lindsay, Director of Bauxite Lands at JBI, highlighted the ongoing efforts under the Bauxite Community Development Programme (BCDP), initiated in 1996.

The program focuses on delivering sustainable projects that improve infrastructure, healthcare, and education, alongside enhancing various social services within these areas.

Impact and outreach of the BCDP
Over the past 28 years, the BCDP has successfully funded and supported over 350 projects, with investments nearing one billion dollars.

These projects have directly impacted over half a million residents in bauxite mining areas, fostering significant improvements in their quality of life.

Agricultural support and educational advancements
Agriculture remains a central focus, receiving the lion’s share of support due to its critical role in local economies. The program has boosted agricultural funding by 7-10 per cent since its inception.

Educational facilities have also seen major upgrades, including the construction of new classrooms and facilities that support both traditional and technological learning.

Healthcare and infrastructure enhancements
In the realm of healthcare, notable projects include the renovation of the Broadleaf Health Centre and the construction of numerous greenhouses.

These initiatives are part of a broader effort to advance greenhouse technology in partnership with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), positioning the JBI as a leader in this area across the English-speaking Caribbean.

Community engagement and long-term benefits
Lindsay emphasized the importance of collaboration with the local communities to ensure the projects address their long-term needs.

This includes establishing bauxite community councils, which serve as platforms for dialogue and problem-solving among mining companies, community members, and government agencies.

The creation of active councils across the main bauxite mining parishes—Manchester, Clarendon, St. Elizabeth, St. Ann, and St. Catherine—ensures that community concerns are heard and addressed.

Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Franklin Witter, says following recent talks between Minister Floyd Green, a team from Alpart and himself, they are hopeful that bauxite production will resume at the plant in the near future.

“We look forward to a new proposal being forwarded to us, so that we can engage the company, so we will be able to initiate the reopening of Alpart,” Witter said.

He was delivering the keynote address at the National Minerals Week Mining/Minerals Conference, at Northern Caribbean University (NCU) in Mandeville, on May 6.

It was held under the theme ‘Benefits of Minerals Development Activities to Host Communities’.

The State Minister also revealed that owners of the Kirkvine facility, in Manchester – UC Rusal – have indicated that it might reopen after being closed for some 15 years, adding that important elements of the plant are in an advanced state of disrepair.

“However, there are significant assets associated with the plant that can generate huge benefits to the people of Manchester. We are looking at some of the facilities, like the wells at Porus, storage tanks and other buildings at the plant, to see how best we can repurpose them and have them used to support other commercial activities in Manchester,” Witter said.

He also noted that there is ongoing dialogue with private-sector interests to see whether other areas of the plant can be repurposed.

The State Minister gave the assurance that bauxite mining would remain a part of the parish’s economy and the assets in the sector would be utilised to improve the citizens’ well-being.

This includes improved access to potable water and provision of land titles for parcels of land on which people were resettled by bauxite mining companies.

“The issuing of land titles has been moving very slowly, but we are prepared and we have started the process of making sure that titles will be delivered timely to the citizens. We don’t believe that someone should wait 10 years for a title. That stifles economic activity, so we are prepared to ensure that, going forward, the delivery improves,” he said.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for Manchester North Western, Mikael Phillips, said the minerals sector is very important to the country’s economy. “Today’s focus on the minerals sector is extremely important, as it badly needs a reset,” Mr. Phillips said, adding that the sector was once a pillar of the Jamaican economy.

– JIS News

The Government of Jamaica has continued to reinvest earnings from the bauxite industry into communities that are impacted by mining, according to Director of Bauxite Lands at Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI), Kemoy Lindsay.

Through the Bauxite Community Development Programme (BCDP) that was established in 1996, funding and technical support are being provided for sustainable initiatives in mining areas, Lindsay said.

“Infrastructure, healthcare, road repairs, skills training, and all facets of social development are taken care of,” he disclosed in his address at National Minerals Week Mining/Minerals Sector Conference at Northern Caribbean University (NCU) in Mandeville, Manchester last week.

Lindsay said since 1996 the JBI, through the BCDP, has implemented over 350 projects totalling close to $1 billion, representing “bauxite money being directly rechannelled into the communities”.

He added that, “Over the 28 years, we have impacted more than half a million residents in bauxite communities.”

Agriculture, which is the mainstay in most of the communities, has received the largest share of the support.

Since the BCDP’s inception, the funding injected into farming has increased by seven to 10 per cent.

In Manchester, the projects undertaken include the construction of two classrooms at Kendal All-Age; expansion of the New Green Basic School; building of a computer lab and art block at Winston Jones High School; electricity expansion in 10 communities; while 1,500 poultry farmers and 5,000 small farmers have received assistance.

“We funded the renovation and reopening of the Broadleaf Health Centre; construction of 60 greenhouses, and in partnership with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), the JBI will be one of the largest facilitators of greenhouse technology not just in Jamaica, but in the English-speaking Caribbean,” Lindsay further stated.

He further cited support for skills training programmes, construction of post offices at Kendal and Harmons, as well as the provision of millions of dollars in scholarships for students.

Lindsay pointed to what he said is close collaboration with residents to ensure that projects being undertaken will provide them with tangible long-term social and economic benefits.

He said there is also direct and constant trilateral dialogue involving the mining companies, the communities and the relevant Government agencies.

“Gone are the days when… community members felt that their concerns were not being heard. We have successfully created bauxite community councils to bridge that gap and provide a forum for the dissemination and discussion of issues,” he said.

“This ensures that business continues in a way that is sensitive to the needs of the community,” he added.

According to Lindsay, there are 14 active councils across the five bauxite mining parishes of Manchester, Clarendon, St Elizabeth, St Ann, and St Catherine.

He said the aim is to ensure that every community impacted by bauxite mining has a forum to have the relevant concerns heard and the needs discussed in a structured way.

THE JAMAICA Bauxite Institute (JBI) is investing millions of dollars in several projects to benefit farmers in mining communities in Manchester during the current financial year.

Director of Bauxite Lands at the JBI, Kemoy Lindsay, who provided details at a National Minerals Week conference at Northern Caribbean University in Mandeville on May 6, said that among the initiatives is the Manchester Citrus Revitalisation Project, which will be rolled out in two phases, starting this month.

In the first phase, seedlings will be distributed to select householders, and farmers with plots of land will be identified and provided with plants, fertiliser, training and the technical support needed to get citrus going in the parish again, he noted.

In addition, more than $15 million will be spent to undertake road repairs, and a cold storage facility will be constructed at Content at a cost of more than $150 million to serve the farmers at the greenhouse cluster and others nearby.

Lindsay said that 40 greenhouses are being repaired at Rose Hill and Blue Mountain at a cost of $24 million.

There are also plans to construct 100 more greenhouses in partnership with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund.

A Bauxite Land Lease Programme will be introduced this year to provide farmers in bauxite areas with land to boost their agricultural production.

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Floyd Green, provided details during his contribution to the 2024/25 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on May 21.

“A lot of bauxite land stands idle. We are starting a bauxite land lease programme this year to give land to farmers on concessionary terms so that they can maximise their outputs,” he said.

The programme will create an efficient and affordable channel for farmers in these areas to access lands for agricultural purposes at below-market-rate lease values.

Meanwhile, Green informed that an initiative aimed at bringing piped and potable water to mining communities will be launched this year.

He said the initiative will be undertaken in collaboration with several private and public organisations and donor agencies.

“This year, we will be embarking on Operation Piped Water, providing potable and irrigation water for productivity and empowerment in bauxite mining communities,” the Minister said.

“A number of our bauxite communities, unfortunately, still don’t have access to water and a number of our bauxite companies dug wells. We are going to fix that… and we are going to rehabilitate and resuscitate those wells. We are going to run irrigation systems in those communities, we are seeking to impact the lives of 125,000 residents, 800 businesses, 3,000 hectares of land over the next 10 years,” he noted.

Some of the partners include Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI), Jamaica Bauxite Mining Company, National Irrigation Commission (NIC) and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA).

Green further noted that $100 million will be spent to erect greenhouse/water harvesting sites as well.

Additionally, he said a revitalised Manchester Citrus Project will be introduced. “We are going to be spending over $7 million partnering with the Jamaica Citrus Growers Association to start a project to replant citrus in Manchester,” the Minister said.

– JIS News

The House of Representatives has approved the withdrawal of $282 million from the Capital Development Fund (CDF) to provide budgetary support to the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI) for the 2023/24 financial year.

It is also proposed that a withdrawal be made from the Fund for the payment of outstanding management fees of $2.5 million to the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ).

Speaking in the House on Tuesday (September 19), Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, informed that the budgetary support to the JBI is expected to cover 70 per cent of the entity’s operating expenditure of $402 million.

The remaining 30 per cent is anticipated to be funded from other income and reserves.

“The JBI has been granted budgetary support totalling $1.225 billion from the CDF over the five-year period, 2018/19 to 2022/23,” Dr. Clarke said.

The JBI was established by the Government in 1975 as a regulatory planning and development agency, to manage the sovereign aspects of the Government’s participation in the bauxite alumina industry.

It is responsible for monitoring and studying the alumina sector and advising the Government on matters pertaining to the industry, locally and internationally.

Turning to the payment of outstanding management fees to the DBJ, Dr. Clarke explained that this is for the periods 2017/18 to 2021/22.

The $500,000 per-year fee was established in 1993 and has remained unchanged, he noted.

He further informed that Cabinet has approved the appointment of the managing committee, chaired by Financial Secretary, Darlene Morrison, which is expected to provide additional oversight of the CDF.

The CDF was established under the Bauxite Production and Levy Act.

It was promulgated in 1974 at the time when the bauxite production levy was imposed and the proceeds of the levy directed to the Fund.

Dr. Clarke told the House that the CDF balance has gradually increased over the last five years, given the expiration of waivers on the bauxite levy on April 1, 2018, with the Fund receiving inflows totalling $4.865 billion during the five-year period to 2022/23.

During financial year 2021/22, the outstanding bauxite levy of $2.481 billion was remitted by UC Rusal Jamaica Limited for December 2018 and 2019, contributing to the significant increase in the CDF balance from $1.677 billion as at March 2021 to $4.9 billion as at March 31, 2023.