Residents of the Santa Barbara neighborhood in the capital’s colonial zone protested in the streets yesterday over a power barge in the Ozama River they say is making them sick and deaf. The residents are demanding that the authorities move the Estrella del Norte plant which is causing health problems due to air pollution and the deafening noise it produces. Miguel Eduardo Castillo Padilla is the spokesman for the residents. He told the Listin Diario, “Many children suffer from asthma and from the carbon monoxide being produced.” He says the noise level is over 90 decibels. Castillo Padilla says that when the power plant was originally installed, it was supposed to be removed in three months. Now, seven years later, the plant is still there and he says it’s affecting the physical and mental health of residents. Moreover, a study done by the Seismic Institute of the UASD found that the plant’s vibrations are causing cracks in many homes in the area.
