The Editor, Sir:

On reading Hospitality Jamaica on Wednesday, March 5, 2008, I marvelled at the irony. An article entitled "Gran Bahía enviro project" described a recent announcement by the Gran Bahía Príncipe Hotel in Runaway Bay, St Ann, to launch a project aimed at environmental education in communities, focusing on waste management, resource conservation and family health. According to the article, a representative from the hotel stated that "people will become aware of environmental risks and will be able to deal with them."

This announcement is ironic in light of the hotel's spotty record of compliance with its environmental permits. According to information obtained using the Access to Information Act, the Gran Bahía Príncipe Hotel built a different sewage treatment system from the one approved by the regulatory authorities, without notifying them of the design changes. Moreover, according to monitoring reports, the sewage effluent has not been meeting the standards of the National Environment and Planning Agency.

As recently as February 18, 2007, the levels of faecal coliform (human or animal waste) were significantly over the standard. I doubt the hotel will be educating the communities about the environmental risks presented by their continued operation. The pronouncements by this hotel are nothing more than 'greenwashing.'

I am, etc.,

DANIELLE ANDRADE

dandrade.jet@cwjamaica.com

Legal director

Jamaica Environment Trust