Construction companies that extract crushed stone, gravel and sand from Dominican rivers feel that the regulation of the activity would bring order and permit that the ecology be preserved and construction not be affected. The List?n Diario newspaper has been highlighting in a series of articles on the ecology that the unsupervised extraction of construction materials is killing Dominican rivers. The Chamber of Mining and Petroleum of the Dominican Republic supports the regulation of the extraction of aggregates. Spokesman, Luis Manuel Pellerano said that the extraction cannot be stopped because it would affect construction. He advocates the implementation of alternate mechanisms of extraction and adequate supervision to preserve both the well being of the construction industry and the ecology. Geologist Rafael Osiris de Le?n suggested alternatives such as the use of limestone and slag produced by Falconbridge as substitute for river bed aggregates. The Consortium for the Channeling of the Nizao River, the Dominican Chamber of Construction and associations that produce reinforced concrete and concrete blocks have requested a meeting with the Ministry of Armed Forces and Ministry of Public Works to this end. The directors of the National Institute of Potable Waters (INAPA) and the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INDRHI) would also participate. Last week the Armed Forces began an operation to stop the indiscriminate extraction of aggregate from principal rivers and beaches and closed several mines in San Cristobal. Some 40 trucks loaded with construction materials were detained. Shortly after the mines were reopened and the confiscated truck cargoes released.
