The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) is imploring corporations that generate waste, to pay close attention to the discharge of effluent and the general management of wastewater.

Chair of the PSOJ’s Energy, Environment, and Climate Change committee, Eleanor Jones says the group is deeply concerned about the recent contamination of the Rio Cobre that resulted in a fish kill and disrupted the use of the river for residents and businesses.

She says corporations must be aware and responsible because improper wastewater management poses serious risks to public health.

She says the recent Rio Cobre chemical spill highlights a greater need for responsibility, with respect to the discharge of waste into water bodies.

She is calling on the government to implement tougher measures, to ensure companies adhere to environmental best practices.