One of the world's biggest bauxite and alumininum producing states is in deep trouble. It's a crisis immediately reflected in shutdowns and loss of jobs, but prefigured by an astonishing history of corruption, mis-management, and lack of political and fiscal transparency. Bauxite is the most important aluminium ore. It consists largely of the minerals gibbsite Al(OH)3, boehmite γ-AlO(OH), and diaspore α-AlO(OH), together with the iron oxides goethite and hematite, the clay mineral kaolinite and small amounts of anatase TiO2. It was named after the village Les Baux in southern France, where it was first discovered in 1821 by the geologist Pierre Berthier. Jamaica's bauxite and alumina industry is undergoing its worst crisis since the 1980s, brought on by the collapse of demand for aluminium products and the consequential slide in prices. These products are essential raw materials for a wide range of industries which are being buffeted by the global economic recession. As demand for aluminium has fallen, producers have been forced to carry out cutbacks at smelters and alumina plants internationally to counteract the build-up of excess supply. Regardless of how modern times as gotten, how developed and educated we have come, how society as developed and different sources of surviving that we have come up with. The closure of the Bauxite Company will have a great impact on our county both negatively and positively, in that negatively; the loss of thousands of Job, the loss of one major sources of income for the country/inflation and positively; environmentally and human health.

First and foremost, the closure of the bauxite company will have a negative impact on the country; the loss of thousands of jobs. According to the Jamaica Gleaner “The announced job cuts at the affected alumina plants and St Ann Bauxite Company are expected to reach over 1,000, which does not include those that will result from the impact of the closures on local suppliers of goods and services to the industry. Bauxite communities in St Elizabeth, Manchester, Clarendon and St Ann are going to see a downturn in business activity resembling the fallout that occurred in the 1980s.” therefore it can be concluded that unemployment will increases drastically. According to the Jamaica Gleaner “Over two thousand employees will be out of a job.”

Due to increasing of the unemployment rate the crime rate increases. After the announcement that there will be a job cuts at affects alumina plants and St Ann Bauxite Company are expected to reach over 1,000, which does not include those was are not permanent staff. Individual who has lost their jobs already are complaining that there is no alternative, that they can’t get any jobs etc. One of the former employee of the company mention that and I quote “anytime mi hungry again enuh a go si mi nine” this is simply saying that whenever he his hungry he will turn to violence. According to a research carried out by the Jamaica Constabulary Force 55 percent of the persons caught stealing are former worker who claims that they have no other alternatives or resorts.

According to the Jamaica Gleaner after interview certain amount of workers who are currently part time student, some have come to the conclusion that they will become a “School drop outs” student. According to one particular individual who was interview she has been in job search since the announcement yet still can’t find a job, while other individual say that they will have to work full-time now and maybe come back to school when they can afford it. “School dropout” will lead to less persons graduating.

Moreover the loss of one major sources of income for the country. Trading/exproting is one of Jamaica’s main incomes, and the trading/exporting of bauxite alumininum is the main source of income. The company has announced a 30 per cent reduction in 2009 as its customers in the US have cut alumina production. All told, the local plant closures will result in a 50 per cent fall in bauxite production to eight million tonnes. Alumina output is projected to decline by nearly 60 per cent to just fewer than two million tonnes, which will be lowest level seen in more than 20 years. The full impact of the closures will be felt in 2010 when bauxite output, assuming that the Jamalco plant and St Ann Bauxite Company continue to produce at current levels, could slip to less than seven million tonnes. With the Jamalco plant alone in operation, alumina production would decline further to about 1.5 million tonnes. The decline in orders and export will lead to the decreases in Jamaica’s budget.
Similarly, the Jamaican budget is greatly affected by the closure of the Bauxite Company. According to the Jamaican Gleaner government revenues from the bauxite industry, including bauxite levy, corporate income tax, PAYE income tax, statutory deductions and other revenues to government, which stood at US$ 898.7 million in 2003, had reached US$133.6 million by 2007. It slipped to US$1221.8 million in 2008 and will plummet to less than US$40 million in 2009 because of the drastic cut in production described above. There is no likelihood that government revenues will recover from this depressed level in the short term since the operators of the Windalco and Alpart plants have signalled that there will be no quick reopening. The budget will drastically decease without the income of the Bauxite Company and this can bring about inflation.

After the closure of the bauxite company is will bring about inflation due to the fact a great amount of money will be withdraw for the country over a period of time and goods and services will increase in prices nevertheless it could be a negative or a positive inflation, but more negative in this case.

In contrast the closure of the Bauxite Company will affect the country positively also in that environmentally it will minimize air, water and land pollution. Air pollution is done every day at the bauxite company. The introduction of chemicals, particulate matter and biological materials are use on a daily basis in the process of bauxite that cause harm and discomfort to humans and other living organism, and damages the natural environment, into the atmosphere. On a daily basis anyone can see the amount of smoking coming from the plants/bauxite site. A large amount of sulfur dioxide is present in this smoke which is very harm full to the environment. It is said that a flue gas desulfurization (this will minimize the sulfur dioxide before it leaves the plant and dispatch in the air) will be installed in 2010 if the company remains open.

According to the Marine biology lab in Discovery Bay, St. Ann, Jamaica, W.I research has shown that the bauxite company as polluted the sea. The bauxite company as contaminated the Caribbean Sea which affects organisms and plants that live in this water body at the coast line of Jamaica Discovery Bay at the bauxite ship dock. It has damage individual species such as corals and minimizes the amount that is found on the coast of Jamaica. According to the Marine Biology Lab 70% of the species living near the dock of the bauxite company has been destroyed by the pollution.

Similarly land pollution which is the degradation of the earth’s surface often cause by human activities and their misuse of land resources. Urbanization and industrialization are major causes of land pollution. The industrial such as the bauxite company revolution set a series of events into motion which destroyed natural habits and polluted the environment causing diseases in both human and other species of animals. According to Wikipedia modern mining projects leaves behind disrupted communities, damages landscapes, and polluted water. Mining also affects ground and surface waters, the aquatic life, vegetation, soils, animals and the human health.

Moreover the closure of the bauxite company will safe many lives because the process of mining is very risky and hazard to our health. According to www.springlink/miningchemicals/jounalarticles.com exposure to heavy metal is mainly an occupational hazard such as metal mining and refining, in the mechanical and chemical industry. Metals are also used as pesticides (copper and arsenic) and as therapeutic agents. Many of the workers at the bauxite company is been expose to several chemicals on a daily basis, hence the closure of the bauxite company will reduce chemicals poisoning.

Some of the chemicals that are use in the bauxite company are cancerous and individual are being exposed to it on a daily basis. According to research that has been done by some scientist individual have died at the bauxite company from cancer and other on health issues, some unknown. 'The governments of the region have no way to carry out the technical analyzes of any of the processes involved in the production of aluminum, and they accept the declarations of the companies as the absolute truth,'' said a Secretariat of the Environment official. ''We have often established dialogue with the companies, but we have never been able to discuss the issues that we consider important,'' said one community leader. The bauxite company is dangerous and not even the government doesn’t know the full extent in which its damaging the workers or environment.
The question is “Does the positive impact of the bauxite stronger than the negative or the other way around? The closure of the Bauxite Company will have a great effect the country both negatively or positively. Negatively, there will be a loss of over thousands of jobs; unemployment rate increases, crime rate increases, and “School drop outs” and the loss of one major income for the country; trade, budget, and Inflation. Positively, there will be a reduction of environmental damages; minimize air, water and land pollution, and human health; reduce chemicals poisoning, cancer, and other health issues. The closure of the bauxite company affects the country significantly.

p.s...... I DID NOT PROOF READ THIS.........