Santo Domingo.- The Environment Ministry on Friday said it arrestedand charged around 12 dump truck drivers caught extracting aggregates from the Hainariver (south) in violation of environment Law 64-00.
It said the drivers were arrested during a raid by NationalEnvironmental Protection Service (SENPA) agents on complaints from nearbycommunities.
“The detainees were damaging the riverbed and makingthunderous noises from the dump trucks, frontend loaders and other equipment,” Environmentsaid in a statement.
Environment added that it had suspended all extractions of aggregatesand the rechanneling of the river amid last year’s drought, specifically at thetown of Hato Nuevo, Santo Domingo province.