BY RICHARD JOHNSON—
Observer senior reporter—
Ibo Cooper —
The Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) is among a number of groups currently involved in talks to influence changes to the Noise Abatement Act.
This piece of legislation governs sound in public spaces and its effect on persons and the environment. For persons in the entertainment industry, this has been particularly contentious as it regulates the timing of events which are required to end at midnight on weekdays and 2:00 am on weekends.
Chairman of JaRIA, Ibo Cooper, is leading his organisation’s charge at these talks. He hopes the discussions conclude with a suitable deal.
“Entertainment is part of the lifeblood of this country, so we have to consider all the possible permutations. So, while we keep the entertainment industry lively, viable and beneficial, we have to bear in mind all the human and environmental concerns,” Cooper told the Jamaica Observer.
“One of the things we want to start with is the name of this Act. The law as it stands right now is based on colonial times and that also extends to its name. As artistes, we do not consider our music noise. What we are pushing for is for the name to be changed to the Sound Regulation Act. We see sound as the superset and noise and music as subsets. To this end, we are suggesting that our law enforcers be equipped with decibel meters to measure the level of sound at any event under investigation. We are proposing different decibel levels for different times of day. Therefore, there would be no need to lock off the sound at an event once it is in keeping with the set levels, “ he explained.
The group is looking at United Nations stipulations on decibel levels to guide their arguments.
“Fort Rocky (in the Corporate Area) has already been declared, as it is far enough from residences and has the required infrastructure. Some other areas are being looked at including Hellshire and Fort Clarence (St Catherine),” Cooper said. “The truth is, the location of a number of our current facilities and the way they are designed causes the sound to throw towards residences. So, at Mas Camp for example, the sound may be at the accepted levels just outside the venue, but the people in Beverly Hills are getting everything. These are just some of the things that are cropping up as we do our due diligence and we have come to realize it is not an easy task. Once you start to crunch the numbers, you realize the goalpost keeps shifting. That is why I cannot put a timeline on this,” Cooper stated.
In addition to JaRIA, the other bodies contributing to the discussion include the Jamaica Constabulary and Jamaica Defense forces, environmental agencies, government ministries and agencies, including the Urban Development Corporation and the National Solid Waste Management Authority.
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