NewsWhore
07-01-2009, 05:30 PM
A military contingent has distributed eviction notices to a large numbers of residents of Gonzalo, in the province of Monte Plata, who have opposed the installation of a cement plant by the Dominican Mining Consortium on the edge of Los Haitises National Park. The reason is that the lands belong to the State Sugar Council (CEA) and the residents have been given 10 days to leave the lands.
The cement company had obtained a Ministry of Environment permit for the cement plant and the Ministry insists that President Leonel Fernandez himself authorized the location. During a presentation at the UNPHU as part of a debate about the controversial plant, cement company spokesman Marcos Perez insisted that the construction meets legal requirements and it is not located in the Los Haitises National Park.
Nevertheless, during the same event, geologist Osiris de Leon explained that the vulnerable karst zone, regarded as the country's leading source of underground potable water and an important water reserve for the future, would be affected. It covers an area of 1,612 square meters. He said the Los Haitises National Park was reduced to 600kms in 2004, and so while the cement plant would be in the karst area, it is technically outside the park.
During the event, Fatima Portorreal, professor of natural resources at the UNPHU, stressed that there is a property issue affecting the local residents. She says that because of their poverty, before the protected status of the area, government officials had issued them property titles in the now protected areas in order to displace them from flatlands intended for sugar cane cultivation. She says that in order to tackle the poverty in the area, the lands that have been assigned to the cement plant would be better assigned to the area farmers and used for food production.
Speaking on behalf of the community at the end of the UNPHU debate, farmer Alejandro Garcia questioned how many of the local residents from Gonzalo and environs would find jobs at the cement plant, stressing that they were only farmers.
In June, a judge suspended construction of the cement plant on the grounds of potential damage to the area. President Leonel Fernandez then announced that his government would listen to the United Nations Environmental Program's opinion about the site.
http://www.dr1.com/forums/environment/... (http://www.dr1.com/forums/environment/82475-anyone-know-what-going-los-haitises.html)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#11)
The cement company had obtained a Ministry of Environment permit for the cement plant and the Ministry insists that President Leonel Fernandez himself authorized the location. During a presentation at the UNPHU as part of a debate about the controversial plant, cement company spokesman Marcos Perez insisted that the construction meets legal requirements and it is not located in the Los Haitises National Park.
Nevertheless, during the same event, geologist Osiris de Leon explained that the vulnerable karst zone, regarded as the country's leading source of underground potable water and an important water reserve for the future, would be affected. It covers an area of 1,612 square meters. He said the Los Haitises National Park was reduced to 600kms in 2004, and so while the cement plant would be in the karst area, it is technically outside the park.
During the event, Fatima Portorreal, professor of natural resources at the UNPHU, stressed that there is a property issue affecting the local residents. She says that because of their poverty, before the protected status of the area, government officials had issued them property titles in the now protected areas in order to displace them from flatlands intended for sugar cane cultivation. She says that in order to tackle the poverty in the area, the lands that have been assigned to the cement plant would be better assigned to the area farmers and used for food production.
Speaking on behalf of the community at the end of the UNPHU debate, farmer Alejandro Garcia questioned how many of the local residents from Gonzalo and environs would find jobs at the cement plant, stressing that they were only farmers.
In June, a judge suspended construction of the cement plant on the grounds of potential damage to the area. President Leonel Fernandez then announced that his government would listen to the United Nations Environmental Program's opinion about the site.
http://www.dr1.com/forums/environment/... (http://www.dr1.com/forums/environment/82475-anyone-know-what-going-los-haitises.html)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#11)