DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is currently embroiled in several high-profile legal battles concerning environmental management and natural resource extraction. The legal battles are ongoing regarding environmental evaluations for mining operations in the Cordillera Septentrional and the Cordillera Central, the central and northern mountain ranges.

Senator Daniel Rivera of Santiago has emerged as a vocal opponent of mining permits in the Cordillera Central, arguing that the protection of the nation’s primary water sources must take precedence over economic gain. Rivera is a former Minister of Public Health.

However, the Abinader administration’s Ministry of Energy and Mines has defended the issuance of exploration permits, claiming the exploration permits do not authorize actual extraction and are necessary for the country to understand its mineral potential. Exploration permits are the...