Academy of Sciences criticizes Energy Minister’s imposition of Romero mining project

The Natural Sciences and Environment Committee of the Academy of Sciences of the Dominican Republic (ACRD) accused the Minister of Energy and Mines, Antonio Almonte-Reynoso, of being authoritarian and undemocratic by promoting the imposition and rejecting dialogue, criticism and technical objections to the imposition of the Romero mining project, which harms the environment and its natural resources.

He expressed regret at the official’s statement that technical approaches to sectors dedicated to protecting the environment, water-producing ecosystems and biodiversity, which object to some mining operations, were not taken into account.

They criticized Almonte-Reynoso’s categorical refusal to discuss with the various organizations fighting to protect the environment in San Juan de la Maguana in the face of what they see as an attack by various means to destroy forests, habitats and fragile ecosystems.

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“There is no opposition to development, but rather an opposition to doing things right, by following procedures, which allow for the elimination of initiatives that degrade natural pockets that support ecological processes that provide essential environmental services such as water resources, or that do not exacerbate the negative impacts of climate change,” he says.

Despite the official’s resistance to dialogue, its Natural Sciences and Environment Committee Academy of Sciences of the Dominican Republic (ACRD)He suggested holding a broad discussion of the Romero mining project, which operates in the province of San Juan de la Maguana, and not trying to impose the proposal of the Ministry of Energy and Mines.

The Academy of Sciences Commissioners point out that “mining is one of the most aggressive activities against the natural environment, whose effects and capacity for recovery are difficult to achieve, especially when one is not willing, first, to implement serious and rigorous environmental restoration plans, and second, when only profit prevails, profits, which has characterized mining in the Dominican Republic.

They add that the exploitation of the Romero mining project would have a negative impact on one of the national parks declared for water production, such as the José del Carmen Ramírez Park.

He added, “All these variables and others must be discussed according to technical standards and without the courage of the minister and the government who are backtracking today on what they promised yesterday.”

He says that San Juan de la Maguana is “the granary of the South, that is to say, its potential and reality is that it is an agricultural valley, which for years has contributed to the country’s food security, and the attack and radical change brought about by mining attacks this reality.”

He considers water an essential resource and Romero knows it could affect the San Juan River, a first-order tributary of the Yaqui del Sur, a waterway of paramount importance to all activities in the southwest region.

They see the damage.

The Academy of Sciences points out that the installation of the Romero mining platform alone would mean modifying the geological, geographical and slope structure of San Juan de la Maguana, which would have a negative impact on the landscape and the functional ecosystem. They ask the government to be cautious about the initiative it seeks to impose in the area.