Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Community organizations, neighborhood associations, and representatives from tourism-related sectors have formally requested the intervention of Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso and President Luis Abinader in response to complaints and concerns surrounding the development of a solid waste biodigester project in a residential and tourism-sensitive area of the province.
Complainants argue that the project has advanced without what they consider adequate community participation and amid questions regarding administrative and regulatory matters that, according to their claims, warrant review by the appropriate authorities.
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The controversy over the installation of a biodigester for solid waste recycling near the Ciudad Universitaria neighborhood has escalated in recent weeks into a province-wide dispute, accompanied by community complaints, legal actions, public health warnings, and public concerns regarding the institutional handling of the process.
Leaders of a coalition of neighborhood associations from the Northwest Block and the Residents’ Steering Committee of Ciudad Universitaria informed El Faro Latino that on Thursday, December 11, a commission from the Ministry of Environment traveled from Santo Domingo to Puerto Plata and held a public hearing that, according to complainants, did not provide sufficient notice or direct outreach to the community most directly affected.
According to community members, the meeting was conducted without what they consider an adequate level of public disclosure to ensure meaningful participation by residents and surrounding institutions regarding the project promoted by Gestión Ambiental Punto Verde, linked to architect Francisco E. Veras Paulino.
The complaints, supported by legal documentation reviewed by El Faro Latino, assert that the project may be carrying out partial operations or preparatory activities while the environmental authorization process remains pending, a situation complainants consider improper. As of publication, this newspaper has not obtained a final official determination from the relevant authorities on that issue.
According to the documentation reviewed, the project is located near the Puerto Plata campus of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, close to school facilities, commercial establishments, and residential and tourism areas, factors that help explain concerns raised by local residents.
Residents also claim that the project owner may have initiated construction of a second structure within the property. That assertion forms part of community allegations and does not constitute an independent conclusion by this newspaper.
In response, neighborhood associations and the steering committee initiated formal legal actions. The documentation reviewed reflects organized opposition to the project based on zoning, public health, environmental, and regulatory compliance concerns.
Among the documents is a formal notice and demand served by a court officer, outlining legal requirements directed at the project owner and warning of potential additional judicial action.
Community members insist their opposition is not directed at recycling as a general concept, but rather at the specific location of the project. They express concerns regarding potential public health, environmental, and community coexistence impacts, and urge municipal, health, environmental, and judicial authorities to review the matter.
The controversy has also extended beyond the local level. Media outlets, radio programs, digital platforms, and social media have followed the case, while various sectors have expressed concern about the project’s possible impact on Puerto Plata’s tourism image and economic activity.
Business owners, academics, residents, and other consulted stakeholders have raised concerns about potential repercussions for public health, commercial activity, and the perception of Puerto Plata as a tourism destination, given the project’s location.
Despite objections raised by community groups, the process related to the project has continued, increasing the level of concern among complainants.
El Faro Latino reviewed documentation that includes a communication attributed to the project promoter regarding the scheduling of a public hearing. Community sectors view that process as insufficient, although that assessment belongs exclusively to the complainants.
For those opposing the project, the continuation of the process despite legal and community objections reinforces the need for broader institutional review. That position reflects the views of the complainants.
According to documentation reviewed, the community opposition has formal backing from members of the Ciudad Universitaria Residents’ Steering Committee and presidents of multiple neighborhood associations in Puerto Plata’s Northwest Block. The legal actions reviewed were formally served by competent officers, confirming the existence of a formal legal claim.
Citing what they describe as a lack of satisfactory responses, complainants have escalated their appeals to higher levels of government, requesting the direct intervention of Attorney General Yeni Berenice Reynoso and President Luis Abinader so the matter may be examined within the appropriate institutional framework.
El Faro Latino remains open to incorporating the formal position of the project’s promoters, their legal representatives, and the relevant authorities as part of balanced reporting and the right of reply.
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