Jamaica Environment Trust Presses Government to Finalise Long-Awaited EIA Regulations

The Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) has delivered fresh recommendations on proposed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations, urging the authorities to move quickly on a legal framework that has been in development for well over ten years.

Dr. Theresa Rodriguez-Moodie, the organisation's Chief Executive Officer, said the filing is meant to push forward work on rules Jamaica still does not have in a formal, enforceable form, despite repeated pledges to complete them.

Environmental impact assessments are central to how the country reviews the ecological, social, economic, and public-health effects of major development proposals before approval. Yet Jamaica remains without a dedicated, binding set of EIA Regulations.

Provisions under the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) Act (1991) already allow EIAs to form part of the environmental permitting process. Without standalone regulations, however, whether an assessment is required rests largely on the discretion of the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), producing uneven application across projects.

JET first offered its own recommendations in 2011. With little movement afterward, the issue was placed on Jamaica's Open Government Partnership (OGP) National Action Plan for the 2021–2023 cycle. The commitment to finish the regulations carried into the 2024–2026 cycle as well, though tangible progress has remained limited.

"This submission is about moving the needle forward on a process that has been delayed for far too long," Dr. Theresa Rodriguez-Moodie said. "We felt it was important to take this step now to consolidate recommendations, respond to gaps in the current system, and provide practical draft regulatory language that can support the finalisation of the regulations."

The updated document builds on JET's 2011 input and reflects contributions from civil-society groups, academics, and EIA practitioners. It also proposes draft regulatory wording for screening procedures, public participation, consultant independence, compliance and enforcement, and rights of appeal.

Dr. Theresa Rodriguez-Moodie added: "The absence of binding EIA regulations continues to create uncertainty in environmental decision-making and results in inconsistent and non-binding public participation in projects with potentially significant impacts."

The trust has sent the submission to the Office of the Prime Minister, NEPA, the Ministry of Water, Environment and Climate Change, and the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development as part of a coordinated push for progress.

JET says it remains ready to support completion of the EIA regulatory framework and is calling on all relevant stakeholders to treat its finalisation as an urgent priority for Jamaica's environmental governance.