A win for town as judge shutters quarries in northern mountains

Santiago.- A Santiago District civil court on Friday orderedthe halt of aggregate extraction on thehills of the Septentrional (northern) Range, north of the city and also ruledto suspend the Environment permit issued April 10.

Civil and Commercial 1stInstance Court judge Samuel Guzman ruled for an injunction and a RD$5,000 finefor each day the defendants -the company ECOCISA and the Environment Ministry- failto comply with the order.

Once the ruling washanded down the lawyers for Jacagua township Wilton Vásquez and Mayovanex Reyessaid it was a victory for the locals, who´ve been complaining of the extractionsfor years. "The judge stressed the report by geologist Osiris de Leon, tosuspend the mining company´s permit and paralyze its operations."