Board Chairman of the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) and National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) Weldon Madann has resigned.

NEPA carries out the technical and administrative mandate of three statutory bodies, including the NRCA.

Mr. Maddan’s resignation follows NEPA’s decision to drop criminal charges against Trade Winds Citrus Limited in a recent Rio Cobre oil spill case.

It was reported that on December 15, last year, NEPA confirmed that a malfunctioning boiler at the old Jamaica Beverage Plant – now owned and operated by Trade Winds – was the source of an oil spill first observed in the river on December 11.

NEPA responded with an enforcement notice and promised further legal action.

In court on Wednesday, several weeks after the case began, the presiding judge was reportedly informed that both parties had reached a settlement and NEPA wanted to discontinue the case.

The terms of the settlement were not disclosed to the public, nor were they reviewed by the judge or the clerk of the court because they were deemed confidential by NEPA and Trade Winds.

The confidential nature of the settlement raised transparency and accountability concerns among environmental lobby groups and the Opposition People’s National Party.

Reacting to Mr. Madann’s resignation, Environment Minster Matthew Samuda says the Government is not satisfied that the issue was handled at the board leadership level with the required standards of transparency and openness.