Santo Domingo.- The Chamber of Deputies plans to designate a special commission to oversee the mining contracts with the Canadian company Falcondo (Falconbridge), especially the Loma de Miranda Project to extract nickel in central Monseñor Noel and La Vega provinces, and to avert the destruction of more than 60 water sources which supply more than 20,000 people.
The request submitted by deputy Elpidio Infante, of the opposition PRD party for La Vega, affirms that the disappearance of the water sources would directly affect the development of those regions. He said Falcondo’s persist nickel extraction for more than 20 years is the main reason for the disappearance of native fauna, flora and vegetation and the life of forests, whose water sources benefit the entire nation.
“Congressional intervention becomes is to control the contractual conditions and compliance of mining contracts to prevent extreme harm to the State and to keep the communities near these mountains from disappearing,” said the lawmaker, whose proposed legislation includes photos showing the alleged damages to the environment.
From: Dominican Republic
Ah somebody wants to get on the payroll.
From: Dominican Republic, vieja Santo Domingo
MIning versus the environment ...always a problem and I was in the La Vega , Canstanza Santiago and san Francisco area for the past four days and it is wonderfully beautiful and needs all the protection that can be given from mining , the timber industry and all those advertisements for the election ...what an eyesore .
Yes ,,,there need to be huge penalties for any breaches of the environmental code,,,The inland of the DR is too precious
From: United States
from the picture the smoke stack is dumping black smoke over the countryside. Mining is important to the economy but not at the cost of the surrounding area. The area around Constanza shows the cleared areas of mountain and a very large garbage dump filling a valley. Will this lead to ground water contamination like the chemicals and pesticides used in farming due or other health concerns? There must be someone looking out for the lands, water and air and health of the population. As long as there is a outside agency looking over the shoulder of the mining operation and the power to stop it if need be the country will survive. If not simply look at the Mountains in Hatai devoid of any trees as the trees are used for cooking.
From: Dominican Republic, vieja Santo Domingo
actually juanb I forgot that you live in Santiago ,,,but I sponsor a student there and actually stayed a night there and met his professor ..all the restuarants and bars were full and everything cheaper than the capital and as we drove through la vega ..we could see all the preperations being made for the festival..
It was the first time for a year I had been to santiago and I had totally forgotten how beautiful the entire area is ..a real paradise and a MUST for protection from damage sweetbabyj speaks of .
But so many more motor bikes on the autopista than in the east
Written by: juanb, 23 Jan 2012 11:52 AM
From: Dominican Republic
The crime in Santiago is out of control and getting worse daily.
Written by: juanb, 23 Jan 2012 11:55 AM
From: Dominican Republic
Interesting that the post to which Ricky refers has been taken down.
Why? And by whom?
From: Dominican Republic, NEVER FORGOTTEN, NEVER FORSAKEN!
They're just destroying our Eco system.
From: United States
Written by: DONT_BE_SILENT, 23 Jan 2012 11:56 AM
From: Dominican Republic, NEVER FORGOTTEN, NEVER FORSAKEN!
They're just destroying our Eco system.
and you are getting precious little for it. Foreign Direct Investment has a negative effect on the primary sector, since it is extractive, and, in the case of minerals, unrenewable. the money slips out of the country, with very little effect on the economy. because of its very nature, there are very few backward,or horizontal, linkages. the few vertical linkages are very rudimentary, because of the specialized nature of the business. all in all, a pain in the nuts of the host country
From: United States
somebody please check the barrick gold..the worst contract ever and the most destroying company..!
Written by: RoyStone, 23 Jan 2012 10:21 PM
From: Australia
Mining causes far less environmental damage than farming, charcoal-burning or logging, and brings in more revenue. Environmental protection should have be considered before the mine started not now. EPAs are not new. It seems the horse has already bolted and its to late to close the stable door.
Written by: RoyStone, 23 Jan 2012 10:35 PM
From: Australia
Dready, I have to disagree with you on this one.
Australia gets more from mining than from the meat, wool, dairy, timber and wheat industries combined, and affects less than 1% of the surface area of the country. Mining companies have far more environmental constraints than other primary industries and have huge flow-on benefits, and are required to provide quality infrastructure. Mining is the only reason Australia was one of the few countries that did not experience a recession during the GFC.
Some traditional Dominican exports are no longer competitive (sugar and cocoa), the tourism industry could well slump (if it's not happening already) and if USA has another recession, unskilled Dominican workers will be the first ones to be retrenched. This county desperately needs mining, providing it is done in an environmentally responsible manner, perhaps better monitored by an international rather than Dominican agency.
Written by: RoyStone, 25 Jan 2012 3:54 AM
From: Australia
Maybe this increases the GDP per head of population of the country in two ways - exporting nickel and poisoning 20,000 Dominican peasants. I suspect they do more damage to the environment than the mine does. What fauna is there on this island anyway?
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Yes ,,,there need to be huge penalties for any breaches of the environmental code,,,The inland of the DR is too precious
It was the first time for a year I had been to santiago and I had totally forgotten how beautiful the entire area is ..a real paradise and a MUST for protection from damage sweetbabyj speaks of .
But so many more motor bikes on the autopista than in the east
Why? And by whom?
From: Dominican Republic, NEVER FORGOTTEN, NEVER FORSAKEN!
They're just destroying our Eco system.
and you are getting precious little for it. Foreign Direct Investment has a negative effect on the primary sector, since it is extractive, and, in the case of minerals, unrenewable. the money slips out of the country, with very little effect on the economy. because of its very nature, there are very few backward,or horizontal, linkages. the few vertical linkages are very rudimentary, because of the specialized nature of the business. all in all, a pain in the nuts of the host country
Australia gets more from mining than from the meat, wool, dairy, timber and wheat industries combined, and affects less than 1% of the surface area of the country. Mining companies have far more environmental constraints than other primary industries and have huge flow-on benefits, and are required to provide quality infrastructure. Mining is the only reason Australia was one of the few countries that did not experience a recession during the GFC.
Some traditional Dominican exports are no longer competitive (sugar and cocoa), the tourism industry could well slump (if it's not happening already) and if USA has another recession, unskilled Dominican workers will be the first ones to be retrenched. This county desperately needs mining, providing it is done in an environmentally responsible manner, perhaps better monitored by an international rather than Dominican agency.