“Polluting events that have occurred over the years to the detriment of the Ozama River and surrounding human conglomerates,” was the environmental crimes allegation charged by the Institute of Lawyers for the Protection of the Environment (Insaproma) against it. company Seaboard Transcontinental, owner of the vessel sailing the Ozama River.
But despite Insaproma disclosing through a press release that the legal directions had been deposited with the Special Prosecutor for the Defense of the Environment and Natural Resources on the 4th of this month, the General Director of the Armando Rodríguez said he was . are not aware of any lawsuit and have stated that they have not been informed of the legal directions
Rodríguez told the press that they were not breaking the law and invited the legal team that had the accusation to present the evidence.
“Whoever says we dump material in the river doesn’t know our way of working or is just lying,” added Rodríguez, pointing out that they have all their permits in order and that they periodically present their environmental impact reports.
He also indicated that they are monitored by the authorities of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Mimarena) and that the company is currently operating normally.
Rodríguez rated the allegations of contamination in the Ozama River filtered by various radio programs as “absolutely false.”
“We can open the doors for you (referring to the press) to come in and see the operations. There is no mystery there, we are in fact on the road for everyone, ”said the businessman.
He also explained that Seaboard “does not emit any kind of pollution within the set parameters”, arguing that it must be an attack on economic interests as it does not understand “the situation that is occurring with the river”.
According to a note from Insaproma, Seaboard has violated several articles of the General Environmental Act (64-00), and they are requesting an investigation and launching public action against the company.
They also stated that in 2017 the Mimarena stated that “the facilities, from a thermal point of view, pose an environmental hazard” and that the maintenance of these operations on the banks of the Ozama “contradicts the efforts made by the stands for its restoration of the environment ”.
KNOWING MORE
Prosecutors visit
Yesterday, the Special Prosecutor for the Defense of the Environment reported that it was making a descent to the areas where the Estrella del Mar II generation platform is installed, acting on the complaint filed by Insaproma for alleged environmental crimes.
Research
The goal was “to start an investigation into the possible consequences it could have in the Ozama River,” said prosecutor Jose Espinal Beato.