President Luis Abinader has compared the illegal granceras business (open-pit mining) to drug trafficking. As a deterrent, he has authorized more permits for dry quarries, as well as the use of sediment extracted from dams as an alternative for the construction sector.
The Nizao River is an emblematic example of the indiscriminate extraction of construction materials. This practice also affects other tributaries, such as the Yuna in the north, the Tireo in the Central Cordillera and the Yaque del Norte and Guayubín, both in Montecristi — a coastal city bordering Haiti — among many other tributaries. The water security of numerous communities is compromised in the Caribbean country.
According to the environment minister, tax evasion and low regulatory costs allow illegal aggregates to be sold below market prices, “generating considerable profits.” The total amount of material on a 700-cubic-foot truck can cost between 20,000 and 22,000 Dominican pesos ($325 to $358).
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