Falcondo will seek an agreement before going into arbitration
They will look at their actions if Loma Miranda becomes a National Park
Mariela Mejía
SANTO DOMINGO. The president of Falconbridge Dominicana (Falcondo), David Soares, said yesterday that the company will try to use every mechanism that is permitted under its contract to talk with the government before thinking about going to international arbitration, if Loma Miranda should be declared a National Park.
"Anyone who knows our agreement with the state knows that we have ways within those contracts to speak with the state, and reach an agreement, but I do not believe we will reach that point. We do not want to talk about international arbitration (at this time)," he said.
During a luncheon with executive of the media and makers of public opinion, representatives of Falcondo reiterated their disagreement as to Loma Miranda becoming a National Park, and they would not be able to carry out the project for the extraction of ferro-nickle that they hope to develop over the next 20 years in part of the 22,000 "tareas" (1400 hectares) the company has on the hill.
Rafael Caceres, the Falcondo lawyer, said that if the project to convert Loma Miranda into a National Park which is now in Congress were to be approved, the property rights would be violated, since the area of the proposal includes the Falcondo property.
Moreover, the proposal would violate the principle of free trade by hurting Falcondo in its business activity which is covered under a contract with the state; and the proposal would hurt the environment because there is no scientific basis which supports the idea that the 67,000 "tareas" (4,200 hectares) of the hills that would become a National Park meet the conditions for this preservation.
They supported their case by mentioning the Biodiversity and Natural Resources Atlas, published by the Ministry of the Environment in 2012, which says that Loma Miranda is not an area of high population of endemic species of flora or fauna. It does not have threatened species or those in danger of extinction, nor is it of any importance for the conservation of birds.
They said that there is a lack of technical basis in requesting that Loma Miranda become a National Park, and basing the proposal on the "fact" that there are a large number of endemic species and some that are in danger of extinction there. And on the "fact" that there is a large quantity of underground waters and that there are important sources of water which flow into the Rincon Dam are there.
"Anyone who knows our agreement with the state knows that we have ways within those contracts to speak with the state, and reach an agreement, but I do not believe we will reach that point. We do not want to talk about international arbitration (at this time)," he said.
During a luncheon with executive of the media and makers of public opinion, representatives of Falcondo reiterated their disagreement as to Loma Miranda becoming a National Park, and they would not be able to carry out the project for the extraction of ferro-nickle that they hope to develop over the next 20 years in part of the 22,000 "tareas" (1400 hectares) the company has on the hill.
Rafael Caceres, the Falcondo lawyer, said that if the project to convert Loma Miranda into a National Park which is now in Congress were to be approved, the property rights would be violated, since the area of the proposal includes the Falcondo property.
Moreover, the proposal would violate the principle of free trade by hurting Falcondo in its business activity which is covered under a contract with the state; and the proposal would hurt the environment because there is no scientific basis which supports the idea that the 67,000 "tareas" (4,200 hectares) of the hills that would become a National Park meet the conditions for this preservation.
They supported their case by mentioning the Biodiversity and Natural Resources Atlas, published by the Ministry of the Environment in 2012, which says that Loma Miranda is not an area of high population of endemic species of flora or fauna. It does not have threatened species or those in danger of extinction, nor is it of any importance for the conservation of birds.
They said that there is a lack of technical basis in requesting that Loma Miranda become a National Park, and basing the proposal on the "fact" that there are a large number of endemic species and some that are in danger of extinction there. And on the "fact" that there is a large quantity of underground waters and that there are important sources of water which flow into the Rincon Dam are there.
Mariela Mejía
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