Falcondo has reiterated that their continued operations in the country were conditional upon receiving authorization for mining in Loma Miranda, a rural area between La Vega and Bonao. Company president David Soares told Diario Libre that the company needed to extend the duration of their mining operations to make viable the installation of a new power generation facilities that would be more cost-efficient for the mining operation.
While the proposed mining appears to have the support of the Ministry of Environment and the Department of Mines, the Academy of Science, groups led by the Bishop of La Vega, and environmentalists are opposed to the plan on the grounds that the area is an important water source. Opponents argue it would be a repeat of the environmental pollution caused by the company in the Bonao hills where it has worked for several decades. The Medina government requested the opinion of UN experts that said that the impact study presented by the company was incomplete. The UN also urged the country to decide whether mining was a sustainable development activity for the country.
www.diariolibre.com/destacada/2014/01/20/i446391_falcondo-condiciona-presencia-pas.html
www.diariolibre.com/dlenglish/2014/01/20/i447121_loma-miranda-has-important-species.html