A new study just released by the Technical University of Santiago (UTESA) says that contamination of the Yaque del Norte River is directly affecting the health of the inhabitants of 30 southern and western barrios of Santiago, and that most of the contamination is traceable to only 10 firms. The UTESA says that the river passing through Santiago is heavily contaminated with solid wastes, chemical wastes and untreated industrial wastewater, and that this mix is harming the health of barrios surrounding the river. The most affected sectors, it warns, are Nibaje, Bella Vista, La Canela, Hato del Yaque, La Joya, Bermúdez, Rafey, La Otra Banda and La Tabacalera. The main polluters of the river, says the report, are the Santiago zona franca, the Bermúdez plant, Productos Checo, Ochoa Hermanos, Hoyo de Lima Industrial, and Baltimore Dominicana (BALDOM). It blames much of the pollution on government authorities’ lack of enforcement of existing rules and regulations regarding wastes and industrial emissions.
