Port Esquivel is a settlement in the south coast of Jamaica that primarily handles aluminium oxide (alumina).
[5] Located 22 miles (35 km) west of Kingston,[6] Port Esquivel is primarily an alumina-handling facility but is also the only port on Jamaica's south coast capable of accommodating large ships.
[8][9] A 14 miles (23 km)-long channel allows for the export of alumina and molasses and for the import of fuel oil and other alumina-related products like bauxite.
[11] According to a 1987 environmental study, alumina pollution at Port Esquivel was negatively affecting the growth of the coastal sea grass; in 1984 alone, close to 5 acres (2.0 ha) of seagrass beds were destroyed.
Oil pollution from leakages at the Texaco storage facility similarly damaged the nearby corals.