Gillian Guthrie (right) of the Ministry of Local Government and the Environment addresses shipping professionals at the recent Hazardous Waste Management Workshop held at the Shipping Association of Jamaica's Training Centre in Newport West. - contributed

A wide cross section of shipping industry professionals participated in a Hazardous Waste Management Workshop that was hosted last week by the Shipping Association of Jamaica (SAJ). The session was staged in conjunction with the Ministry of Local Government and Environment and the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA).

The half-day workshop looked at the Basel Convention, which is an international agreement that regulates the movement of hazardous waste between countries. Gillian Guthrie of the Ministry of Local Government and Environment explained that the convention sets up a series of procedures which control the export of hazardous wastes, including such day-to-day items as used lead-acid batteries, household waste and used oils for disposal. The primary aim of the convention is to protect human health and the environment from the harm posed by such shipments.

Presenters

Other presenters at the workshop were: Kerrine Senior, Trevor Ramikie and Stacey Swaby of NEPA. Their presentations gave useful information on relevant local and international regulations on the movement of hazardous wastes, as well as the requirements for inspection, notification and movement forms and NEPA's Environmental Permit Process.

Sasha Vaccianna, the SAJ's research and projects executive, chaired the workshop.