DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

A community group has dedicated hours to impede a senator pushing through Congress a bill that would have allowed louder noise in neighborhoods.

The community group called Vecinos Contra el Ruido (Neighbors Against Noise) is now celebrating a first victory in its fight against a proposed bill that would increase acceptable noise levels in the country. The group’s director, Rossé Bonifacio, announced that Senator Aracelis Villanueva (PRM-San Pedro de Macoris), who sponsored the bill, has decided to withdraw the bill.

The group was concerned that the proposed change to Law 90-19 would raise the permitted decibel levels, which are already aligned with World Health Organization (WHO) standards. Bonifacio argued that the change would decriminalize noise violations and force the public to tolerate higher noise levels, rather than holding those who create noise pollution...