The mayors of Greater Santo Domingo called on the central government to normalize operations at the Duquesa garbage dump and landfill. Mayors representing the National District, Los Alcarrizos, Guerra, Pedro Brand, East, North and West Santo Domingo are concerned that the accumulation of refuse on the sidewalks of their streets and avenues will become a health hazard for residents.
Reportedly only one tractor is operating at Duquesa, causing delays in the process. Garbage trucks spend entire days in long lines waiting to enter the Duquesa facility. They are limited to completing only one garbage collection route on many days. In some areas, such as Villa Mella in North Santo Domingo, residents have begun to create impromptu garbage dumps with serious health consequences.
The Mayor of Boca Chica and the spokesman for the Commonwealth of Municipalities, Radhames Castro criticized the unbending position of the Lajun Corporation that administers Duquesa, in the face of this deteriorating situation. Even the intervention by Environment Minister Francisco Dominguez Brito, nor the warnings by the Ministry of Public Health, have served as a path for solving the issues regarding the operation of the garbage dump. There have been calls for nationalizing the Duquesa landfill.
