The Academy of Sciences of the Dominican Republic says that the Ministry of Energy and Mines’ green light for GoldQuest mining company’s pursuing the obtaining of the exploitation of gold permit in San Juan de la Maguana would violate the Dominican Constitution. Minister of Energy and Mines, Antonio Isa Conde, has denied the allegation, arguing that the green light to the project given by the department is because the company met with the technical, financial and legal requirements. He says that to obtain the go ahead to begin the exploitation, the company still needs to secure permits issued by the Ministry of Environment on community approval and environmental impact.
The Academy of Sciences of the Dominican Republic said the mining operation would put in danger the quality of surface and ground water in the San Juan de la Maguana valley, parts of the southern region of the country and Haiti. The compromising of water quality would negatively impact food security and livelihoods for Haitians and the Dominicans.
The Academy of Science experts say that the project would affect water resources because the proposed mining would be located 900 to 1,000 meters above sea level and above the confluence of the San Juan and La Guama rivers that discharge their waters into the Sabaneta Dam. The Academy of Sciences opposes any mining operation at 500 meters above sea level.
The Academy of Sciences also considers the US$224 million the company says it would pay to the Dominican state too little for the risk.
For Luis Scheker Ortiz, president of the Academy of Sciences, the project violates Article 15 of the Constitution, on water resources, which states that “water constitutes a strategic national patrimony for public use”, and prioritizes human consumption over any other use.
Alexander Medina, director of Mines at the Ministry of Energy and Mines, has said the company has committed to use rainwater for the mining operations.
GoldQuest has announced the mine has capacity to produce 840,000 ounces of gold and 980,000 ounces of silver.
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Diario Libre
8 February 2018
