Steve Boyer, who has 35 years of experience dealing with the disposal of solid waste and sanitary landfills, recently completed research of some of the main municipal areas in the Dominican Republic, including Greater Santo Domingo, Santiago and much of the East. He told Diario Libre reporters that these garbage sites are ticking time bombs for the local ecology.
Boyer says that because of the poor handling of the solid waste there is high probability that contaminated effluents will penetrate into the soil, affecting aquifers as well as surface water.
The representative of the Eco-Reciconst company, Boyer, visited landfills in Puerto Plata, Higüey, La Romana, Monsignor Nouel as well as San Pedro de Macoris. He said he observed the mishandling of solid wastes in all landfill sites he visited. Having studied waste disposal in the Dominican Republic for many years, Boyer told reporters the landfills need to be sealed to avoid liquid refuse from sources such as hospital waste and old batteries from seeping into the groundwater.
A recommendation from the study was to implement programs to recycle solid waste. The study, paid for by a recycling company, pointed out the importance of the government to enforce industry-accepted standards of solid waste disposal.
The director of the Commonwealth of Municipalities, Onofre Rojas said estimates indicate in Greater Santo Domingo produces more than 4,200 tons of garbage per day, and most is trucked to the Duquesa dump.
23 February 2017