representatives of four different non-governmental organizations (NGOs) claimed in front of the vicinity of the Ministry of Public Health to to investigate the diseases that could be generated by the power generation barges stationed on the Ozama River, and of which they say the people who live around them are victims.
Cardiovascular, respiratory and auditory diseases are three of the main ones indicated by organizationswhose representatives indicate that they are caused by the two power generation barges that operate in the depths of the flow.
The Community Action Program for the Environment (PACMA), the Environmental Commission of Hope for Ozama, the National Network of Resistance and for the Remediation of Environmental Damage, the Institute of Lawyers for the Protection of the Environment (Insaproma), the Central de Trabajadores Unificados (CTU) and the National Committee for the Fight Against Climate Change, filed an application with the MSP requesting the conduct of an exhaustive medical investigation to establish the magnitude of the health damage caused by the barges.
The executive director of Insaproma, Euren Cuevas, affirmed that the residents of the Calero, Pueblo Nuevo and Maquiteria sectors, in Villa Duarte; Los Guandules, Las Cañitas, La Nueva Barquita and the Colonial City are the most affected by noise, vibrations and the expulsion of smoke. that plants generate.
The barges belong to the company Seabord Transcontinental, and they generate energy that they inject into the electrical system.
About the study
The entities filed with the Ministry of Public Health a report by the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW), which refers to the presence of air pollutants in the area where the barges operate.
This report also mentions thatSulfur oxide emissions form polluting particles that alter the development of lung function in children and contributes to impaired lung function in adults; causes and aggravates asthma and cardiovascular disease.
“This study reveals that These plants are polluting 15 times more or more than what the standards stipulate for a generator of this same capacity. And they are causing asthma, heart disease, skin disease and insomnia, nerve disease from vibrations. Those plants are placed there illegally because Law 64-00 prohibits it and they were placed provisionally, but they have been there for 32 years,” Cuevas said.
Another finding of the report delivered to the authorities is air pollution from the Estrella del Mar II plant. And while its engines could be claimed to meet International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards for air pollutants, those engines and the IMO standards are designed for ships sailing at sea or briefly docking in port; they are not intended to protect nearby communities year after year. That is, they are not for ships that are stationary in densely populated places.
“While these plants claim (no data) to meet IMO standards, these marine standards are by no means sufficient to protect the health of local communities. Publicly available air quality monitoring for key pollutants (NOx, Sox, PMO3) should be installed”, the report states.
In relation to noise and vibration, the deposited document cites that, “the presence of significant noise and vibration pollution it is a source of discomfort and possibly a source of serious health problems for neighboring communities.”
It also notes: “High noise levels can cause hearing loss, especially over prolonged periods. However, beyond hearing loss, prolonged exposure to even moderate noise levels causes a wide range of problems, from disrupted sleep to impaired cognitive performance in children and cardiovascular disease.”
The report states that, although there are cases of plants with sensitive locations in other parts of the world, they are surrounded by some scattered industrial buildings, contrary to the barges on the Ozama River, which is a densely populated area.
For these reasons the study concludes that: “Electric barges operating under marine standards for environmental impacts are not suitable for placement in dense communities like Santo Domingo. for prolonged periods”. Another of the report’s conclusions is that HFO (full oil), the dirtiest of petroleum-derived fuels, must cease completely.
