The Ministry of Environment confirmed it has ordered an investigation to assess if Kapangim SDR, that exploits a calcium carbonate mine in the mountains of Barahona, is operating outside of its licensed area. Barahona environmentalist Rafael Matos Féliz denounced that the Ministry of Environment had authorized the construction of a 12 km mountain road to benefit the company without an environmental impact study having been carried out.
The road under construction in La Ciénaga, runs from Las Filipinas to Los Chupaderos, reaching to Santa Elena and then onto the calcium carbonate processing plant. Matos Féliz said that the construction of the road in the mountainous area will cause land erosion and damage to the ecosystem because of its steep slope. He said the road would be used by large trucks that would increase negatively impact this environmentally fragile region. Matos Feliz noted the company has been fined in the past for violation of its scope of operation.
Matos Féliz said the company initially was authorized to extract limestone from La Descubierta and transport it to a the processing plant in Barahona. However, later, the company obtained permits to exploit the mountains of Las Filipinas and Los Chupaderos, apparently without regard to the environmental impact of the operation.
The Strategic Alliance for the Sustainable Development of Barahona Province opposes the recent actions of the mining company. Reportedly, the extraction of materials would affect the river basins of the Bahoruco and Arroyo Seco rivers that extend for around 80 square kilometers. Environmentalists speculate the operation of the company could also affect the operations of the Casa Bonita and Centro de Visitantes El Cachote eco-lodges.
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Hoy
Adocem
30 November 2017
