The Dominican Republic Academy of Sciences, in its capacity as advisor to the National Congress, is opposing the approval of the planned Novo Mundo XXI artificial island project, to be built off the coast of Santo Domingo by Canadian company Santo Domingo Re-Development Ltd. The academy has analyzed legal, economic, geological, climatic, architectural, urban, sanitary engineering and marine biology issues related to the project. According to Diario Libre, it determined that the geological conditions in the proposed site have not been studied and that a catastrophe such as an earthquake or tsunami, during or after construction, could take place. The academy points out that the material from the excavation of the metro cannot be used in the construction of the island due to the marine currents and strong waves. The project also has serious sanitary and environmental implications if one considers that the Caribbean Sea is currently over-saturated with sewage disposal from other sources. The academy observes an excessive interest from the promoters of the project to have it approved faster than prudence indicates. It claims that the approval of the artificial island would contravene numerous articles of Law 64-00 regarding the requirement to present an environmental impact survey. It would also break the law on state-owned coastal and marine resources, which are inalienable.