Dominican Rep senator calls for gold project halt

A Dominican Republic legislator urged President Luis Abinader not to issue a permit for GoldQuest Mining’s long-delayed Romero project due to concerns over potential impacts on water resources and wildlife.

Romero (in picture) has been held back for a number of years awaiting presidential endorsement of its exploitation license, despite public support for the project from members of the Abinader administration.

Félix Bautista, San Juan province senator for the opposition left-wing Fuerza del Pueblo party, said while the gold project could bring economic benefits for the province, it would cause harm to its 500,000 inhabitants and flora and fauna.

“We roundly oppose the exploitation of the Romero project… as mining in the area would be highly damaging to the San Juan valley and Enriquillo region,” Bautista was quoted as saying by local daily Listín Diario.

The lawmaker expressed concern that the project could pollute water due to its location upstream from the Sabaneta dam, which feeds into surface and underground waters.

As a result of the delays, Toronto-based GoldQuest is seeking opportunities outside the Dominican Republic, although obtaining the license is a key priority for new CEO Luis Santana Pereyra.