Minister Green Rules Out Bauxite Mining in Cockpit Country Amid Alpart Revival Talk

Mining Minister Floyd Green has again stated that the Government has no intention of permitting bauxite extraction within Cockpit Country or on lands bordering the protected area.

He addressed the matter in the House of Representatives on Wednesday after Phillip Paulwell, Member of Parliament for East Kingston and Port Royal, pressed him on whether fresh acreage had been set aside for the Alpart alumina refinery to support mining operations.

Green told legislators that JISCO intends to bring the refinery back into production and upgrade the facility, with building work scheduled to start before year-end.

According to the minister, the Chinese firm has pointed to roughly 149 million tonnes of bauxite reserves tied to the properties it is seeking access to, enough to keep the plant running over the long term.

When Paulwell raised Cockpit Country specifically, Green replied that JISCO has singled out sites that already fall under active mining leases and that the company wishes to work there.