The Higher Administrative Court (TSA) has stopped the Mining Department and the Ministry of the Environment from issuing permits to mine in the Loma Miranda area. According to Listin Diario, the date of 2 April was set for the hearings on an appeal against the Senate of the Republic, the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources and the Mining Department, in defense of the campaign against mining in Loma Miranda. The appeal was filed by Trajano Potentini, the president of the Justice and Transparency Foundation on behalf of Jose Marte Piantini, Ricardo de la Cruz Nieves and Consuelo Despradel who are the formal signatories of the petition. The TSA is the court in charge of matters pertaining to government contracting, including concessions, public service contracts and construction of works.
This is the second negative higher court decision that has been issued in response to Falcondo’s bid for mining in Loma Miranda. Constitutional Court decision 167-13 last year confirmed a decision by the La Vega Third Penal Chamber of First Instance that ordered a halt to the Xstrata Nickel Falcondo works in Loma de Miranda.
Potentini said that the interest of a few could not be placed above the collective interest.
www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2014/3/12/314074/TSA-prohibe-a-Mineria-y-Medio-Ambiente-otorgar-permisos-para-explotacion
www.diariolibre.com/noticias/2014/03/12/i522201_tribunal-superior-administrativo-prohbe-explotacin-loma-miranda.html