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BiggerDominican environmental liabilities: mining’s dark side
Santo Domingo.- Dominican Republic does not have a legal framework that defines and regulates the environmental liabilities generated by mining activity and lacks an inventory that lists existing mining environmental liabilities.
These are two of the main conclusions of an audit carried out by the Chamber of Accounts, published this Tuesday, and which analyzes the different legal instruments that affect the conservation of the environment and their application from January 1, 2015 to March 31 of 2020.
In its report, the Chamber of Accounts also highlights that in addition to the absence of “specific regulations and policies related to the management of Environmental Mining Liabilities (PAM),” the country also does not have “procedures for the corrective management of Environmental Mining Liabilities.”
This is a reminder most investment into mining comes from foreign companies looking to make more profit from Dominican mining activity. Weak environment laws compounded by supposed weak enforcement of existing laws is a draw for them.
It is not lost on many the strict environment and operation laws in home countries of foreign mining interests cut into their profits. This drives them to seek countries with open arms where they can invest in mining and not be strangled by laws that limit their activities and access to higher profits.
Wish this paper could delve into the destructive results of mining on families, the environment, and people’s livelihood.