“Polluting events that have taken place over the years to the detriment of the Ozama River and surrounding human conglomerates,” was the environmental complaint of the Institute for Environmental Protection Lawyers (Insaproma) against Seaboard Transcontinental, the owner of the barge that operates on the Ozama River.
But despite the fact that Insaproma revealed, through a press release, that the legal indications were submitted to the Special Prosecutor for the Defense of Environment and Natural Resources on the 4th of this month, the general director of Armando Rodríguez said that it is not knowing any process and stated that they were not notified of the legal indications.
Rodriguez told the press that he was not breaking the law and called on the prosecuting team to present the evidence.
“Anyone who says that we throw materials into the river does not know how we operate or simply lies,” added Rodríguez, stressing that they have all the permits in order and in force and regularly present their environmental impact reports.
He also indicated that they are being audited by the authorities of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Mimarena) and the company is currently operating normally.
Rodriguez described as “absolutely false” the allegations about the Ozama River contamination that were filtered by various radio programs.
“We can open your doors (referring to the press) to enter and see the operations. There is no mystery there, in fact we are on the road in front of everyone “, said the businessman.
He also explained that Seaboard does not emit “any kind of pollution within the established parameters”, which is why he argued that it must be a laceration of economic interests, because he does not understand “the situation that occurs with the river”.
According to a note from Insaproma, Seaboard has violated several articles of the General Environmental Law (64-00) and is requesting an investigation and launching a public action against the company.
They also said that in 2017 Mimarena said that “the facilities are, from a thermal point of view, a danger to the environment” and that maintaining these operations on the banks of Ozama is “contrary to the efforts of the state to recover its environment.”
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The visit of the prosecutors
Yesterday, the special prosecutor for environmental protection reported that he made a descent in the areas where the barge of the Estrella del Mar II generation is installed, acting on the basis of the complaint filed by Insaproma, for alleged environmental crimes.
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The goal was to “initiate an investigation into the possible effects it could have on the Ozama River,” said prosecutor Jose Espinal Beato.