The Ministry of Environment rejected the installation of an open air garbage dump, the Oakhouse Landfill in the La Cuaba’s El Aguacate community in the municipality of Pedro Brand in western Santo Domingo province. The area is adjacent to new golf and touristic developments and investors protested the intention of the company, as reported in N Digital.
Deputy Minister of Environment Indhira De Jesus said that the environmental impact assessment process for the landfill was completed last Friday, 2 June 2023 before the decision to put a stop on the landfill was taken.
“After analyzing the environmental and social implications, the Validation Committee decided to dismiss the project at the proposed location,” she said. She said the project met with the technical conditions, but was rejected by the community during the hearing in March 2023.
The municipal district of La Cuaba is located in the western part of the province of Santo Domingo, where several ecotourism projects are being developed and where the Matúa River, La Cuaba estuary and the Isabela River flow through the area.
On 16 June 2021, the district board of La Cuaba approved land use for the construction of the so-called Oakhouse Landfill.
The landfill had the approval of the district director Carlos Montaño, of the Partido Revolucionario Moderno and the mayors: Cristian Encarnación (PRM-Los Alcarizos), Manuel Jiménez (PRM-Santo Domingo Este), Wilson Paniagua (PRM-Pedro Brand).
Also the district directors Mirta Pérez, known as La Popy (PRM-La Guáyiga), Richard Valdez (PRM Palmarejo-Villa Linda).
The mayor of the National District, Carolina Mejía, and the district director of Pantoja, were the only ones who did not support the project for the installation of the sanitary landfill in La Cuaba.
N Digital reported that the former Minister of Youth, Kinsberly Taveras, coordinated with the mayors and district directors to get their approvals. Taveras has a company dedicated to the management of solid waste and this landfill would serve Greater Santo Domingo at a time efforts are ongoing to close the Duquesa landfill.
Read more in Spanish:
N Digital
Diario Libre
7 June 2023