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Zone surrounding Barrick's operation should be declared a "State of Emergency" in Dominican Republic

translated from article in 7 Dias
September 19th, 2013

The National Committee Against Megaminer�a demanded the area surrounding the operating Barrick Gold's operation in Domincan Republic to be declared a "state of emergency" due to the "serious damage" to the health to the inhabitants of the neighboring communities, particularly the Lower Yuna.

These people should be immediately relocated, proposed Rafael Jimenez Abad, a spokesman of the group. "We call on the authorities to come to the aid of communities to solve the heinous pollution it is causing the inhabitants, agricultural production and water," he said.

He called it a "bestial situation". "This shows that the renegotiation of the contract which sought only a more funds was not the solution to this issue," he added.

Meanwhile, Gutierrez Escarlin referred to the "stagnation" in which the bill is to declare Loma Miranda a national park. The head of "pile-up" he says, is the chairman of the Committee on the Environment, Felix Nova, Senator of Monsignor Nouel.

He recalled that in the House of Representatives the bill was approved, with the approval of 144 deputies, and is currently in the Senate, where at least 23 senators have expressed support for it.

For these and other issues of environmental importance, the Committee announced a day of action which will begin next Wednesday 25th at nine o'clock with "successive pickets in Congress and the Ministry of Environment."

There will also be protests against the Attorney General "where we'll announce a new corruption scandal within the Provincial Development Council of Monsignor Nouel".

The group also calls for the dismissal of the Director of Mines, Alexander Medina, "who sometimes made Falconbridge spokesman" and other mining companies, as well as the removal of Provincial Council members said, due to "documented acts of corruption" .

 

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