Puerto Plata on Alert Over Controversial Biodigester Project Under Review by Ministry of Environment

New York. The province of Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic is experiencing growing tension surrounding the installation of a biodigester and plastics recycling project located along a major tourism access corridor, amid community complaints, ongoing legal actions, and an official review process that remains unresolved, according to an ongoing journalistic investigation by El Faro Latino.

Community members have directed an appeal to Dominican Republic Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Armando Paíno Henríquez, requesting attention to the matter and expressing hope that national authorities will review concerns raised by residents of the Ciudad Universitaria Cafemba sector in Puerto Plata.

Residents maintain that the minister may not have received complete information regarding the dispute that, according to their account, is affecting their community and surrounding areas.

According to complaints and documentation reviewed by this newspaper, community groups question whether the project may have initiated partial activities while regulatory approval processes and permit reviews remain ongoing. As of the time of publication, El Faro Latino has not obtained a final and comprehensive official determination from the relevant authorities regarding that specific issue.

El Faro Latino attempted to contact Jeremías Ureña Cid, president of the Municipal Council of Puerto Plata, and Raúl Enrique Brugal Meyreles, provincial director of the Ministry of Environment in Puerto Plata. As of publication, no response had been received to calls or messages sent by this newspaper.

Questions Surround Development and Regulatory Process

According to El Faro Latino’s reporting and documented complaints reviewed by this outlet, community members assert that the biodigester may be conducting partial activities while environmental authorization remains under review, and that additional work may have taken place within the same property under regulatory circumstances also being questioned by project opponents.

These concerns have generated unease within the community, where some groups have requested institutional review by relevant authorities, including environmental oversight and justice system entities, through established legal mechanisms.

The project, promoted by Gestión Ambiental Punto Verde and linked to architect Francisco E. Veras Paulino, is located in a high-traffic corridor between Amber Cove and downtown Puerto Plata, in an area that includes residential neighborhoods, restaurants, school-related facilities, the Puerto Plata campus of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, and nearby tourism developments such as Costambar and Cofresí.

At the institutional level, interviews conducted by El Faro Latino reflect limited responses or processes still under review.

Atahualpa Paulino, northern regional director of the Ministry of Tourism, initially stated in a phone conversation that he was unaware of the project and requested documentation for review. According to this newspaper’s records, he later did not respond to additional follow-up contact attempts.

Meanwhile, Puerto Plata environmental prosecutor Elvis García informed this newspaper that he does not provide official information by telephone and responds only through formal written requests or in-person meetings. He also stated that he would not comment on the matter because, according to his explanation, it had not been formally submitted to his office at that time.

The intervention of a Ministry of Environment commission sent from Santo Domingo has also drawn criticism from community members.

During a conversation with this newspaper, a ministry official identified as María Isabel stated that interviews and technical assessments had been conducted, but that the review had not concluded and that findings would later be submitted to senior officials.

The official declined to provide additional details and did not respond to subsequent follow-up inquiries.

According to complainants, a public hearing associated with the review process did not include sufficient direct notice to communities that consider themselves affected by the project. That assertion reflects the position of the community members consulted.

Regarding public health oversight, provincial environmental health inspector Luis Lorenzo Marmolejos stated during an interview that, to his knowledge, the project did not have authorization from the Ministry of Environment and that, as a result, Public Health had not issued corresponding operational approval.

The official also described biodigester and recycling systems as models used in other jurisdictions and referenced potential environmental benefits under certain circumstances, while acknowledging community complaints regarding odors in the area.

At the community level, opposition has been described as organized and sustained.

Residents interviewed stated that comparable facilities are often located away from densely populated residential or commercial zones, a perception they cite in contrasting the current project’s location.

Hofranyi Bonilla García, president of the Ciudad Universitaria Cafemba Neighborhood Association, stated that multiple neighborhood associations maintain organized opposition to the biodigester and recycling installation.

According to his account, the project may be operating or conducting activities without all required approvals, a position that reflects his perspective and does not constitute an independent final conclusion by this newspaper.

Bonilla García also stated that the project’s effects are already being perceived by nearby businesses, university facilities, and residential areas, while expressing concern over potential consequences for Puerto Plata’s tourism image.

He further stated that truck traffic, waste handling, and emissions associated with the project may have contributed, in his view, to deteriorating local environmental conditions.

The community leader also questioned the conduct of the ministry commission, asserting that, according to his account, there was insufficient formal consultation with directly affected neighborhood groups.

According to documentation reviewed by this newspaper, more than ten neighborhood associations have initiated legal actions and community mobilization efforts related to the matter, supported by formally served legal notices.

At the economic level, local business owners have also expressed concern.

Esequiel González, owner of Pescadería Las Hermanitas, stated that he perceives economic harm linked to environmental conditions surrounding the project, including odors that, according to his account, have affected customer experience.

According to his testimony, some customers left the establishment after perceiving unpleasant odors in the area.

González also expressed his view that simultaneous industrial activities may be generating cumulative effects in the immediate environment.

The legal file reviewed by this newspaper documents organized opposition to the project at this specific location, including arguments related to zoning, public health, environmental concerns, and regulatory compliance.

The matter remains under review by relevant authorities and, as of publication, no final determination has been issued regarding the substance of the dispute.

Within the public debate, allegations, concerns, and perceptions regarding possible irregularities or institutional support for the project have emerged. Those assertions reflect the positions of complainants and do not constitute established facts through official or judicial determination.

El Faro Latino remains open to incorporating the formal position of the project’s promoters, their legal representatives, and any relevant authorities, in accordance with principles of balanced reporting and the right of reply.

This is a developing story.