The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has announced a series of preventive measures to tighten oversight of activities affecting rivers and streams in the provinces of Monseñor Nouel and La Vega. The decision includes the temporary suspension of aggregate extraction along riverbanks and a review of permits related to public works, risk management projects, and the extraction of materials from the earth’s crust.
According to the ministry, the restrictions will remain in place while a technical commission meets with local authorities, municipal governments, and other stakeholders responsible for land management. The objective is to assess current conditions and determine the most appropriate actions before any suspended activities can resume.
Technical Review of Existing Permits
The ministry also ordered the temporary suspension of permits authorizing river channeling, riverbed cleaning, and aggregate extraction for mitigation projects, risk management initiatives, and other public works carried out by government institutions in both provinces.
A multidisciplinary technical commission will examine each authorization to verify compliance with the environmental, technical, and administrative conditions established when the permits were granted. Based on that review, authorities will determine whether each authorization should remain suspended, be modified, or be reactivated.
Increased Monitoring and Enforcement
To ensure compliance with the new measures, the ministry instructed the National Environmental Protection Service (SENPA) and the provincial environmental offices in Monseñor Nouel and La Vega to strengthen surveillance, inspections, and enforcement activities.
Authorities will increase monitoring operations to prevent unauthorized interventions in rivers and streams while verifying that existing environmental permits continue to meet all applicable legal and technical requirements.
Protecting Water Resources and Reducing Environmental Risks
The ministry said the measures are intended to ensure that all interventions in river channels and the extraction of materials for public infrastructure projects are carried out under strict environmental, technical, and risk management standards.
The decision is based on the preventive principle established in Law 64-00, the General Law on Environment and Natural Resources, which prioritizes early action to prevent or minimize potential impacts on water resources and the ecosystems that depend on them.
Commitment to Environmental Protection
The Ministry of Environment reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with local authorities, security agencies, and organizations involved in territorial management in Monseñor Nouel and La Vega.
Officials said the coordinated approach is intended to strengthen environmental governance, safeguard natural resources, and ensure full compliance with the country’s environmental legislation while decisions regarding the suspended permits are under technical review.