Insult to injury: Environment warns Xstrata Nickel to recoup forest

Santo Domingo.- Environment minister Bautista Rojas on Thursday warned Xstrata Nickel (Falcondo) that the Government will not receive the areas in La Vega province (central), until the ravaged forest cover are completely restored.

The warning comes just one day after the government confirmed that it will not allow mining at Loma Miranda, while support to declare it a national park mounts.

"They have to hand them back fully recovered when they finish the extractions," the official said, noting that regardless of the years Falcondo remains at Loma la Peguera and Loma Ortega, "we will not receive the area until it is fully recovered."

Just one week ago Rojas revealed that despite the 30 years of mining by the multinational, which now plans to exploit Loma Miranda, it has recovered only 40% of the forest. "I said just 40% has been recovered, they say 53%, I’m not going to quibble over that. They haven’t done so."