The Environmental Balance Sheet for the Artificial Island Project

[Keith R]

Originally Posted by Hlywud

Why do they allow untreated sewage to be dumped into the sea? No wonder giardisis (spelling?) is prevalent in the resort area of the DR.

Wud, it is not all that unusual for coastal cities -- whether in island developing nations or even in the US & Europe -- to pipe much of their sewage out to sea rather than invest in a modern treatment plant or system of (often odorous) sifting pools. The difference is, (a) in most places in the US and Canada, and increasingly in Europe (as the result of EU rules), water is at least partially treated before being piped out; (b) the DR pipes do not go far enough out to sea and deep enough to prevent ecological damage to the coastline and nearby aquatic life. Deep sea discharge pipes, when done "properly", are not cheap to set up and can require years to construct. And then there's that nagging problem (at least in a Dominican context) of maintenance....

One of my concerns is that, from their presentation, the designers of the artificial island appear to be thinking of dumping SD's liquid wastes, the island's liquid wastes, and the contaminants they gather from the Rio Ozama in the same place. Conceivably they could pipe each effluent stream to different end-points far apart, but that would be very, very costly...

I have yet to see a scientific study of the comtaminants in the Ozama, although I have heard plenty of stories of clandestine industrial dumping in that water body. If even half of them are true, Novo Mundo may be in for an unpleasant surprise in carrying out their project...

[NALs]

Originally Posted by Keith R

Wud, it is not all that unusual for coastal cities -- whether in island developing nations or even in the US & Europe -- to pipe much of their sewage out to sea rather than invest in a modern treatment plant or system of (often odorous) sifting pools. The difference is, (a) in most places in the US and Canada, and increasingly in Europe (as the result of EU rules), water is at least partially treated before being piped out; (b) the DR pipes do not go far enough out to sea and deep enough to prevent ecological damage to the coastline and nearby aquatic life. Deep sea discharge pipes, when done "properly", are not cheap to set up and can require years to construct. And then there's that nagging problem (at least in a Dominican context) of maintenance....

One of my concerns is that, from their presentation, the designers of the artificial island appear to be thinking of dumping SD's liquid wastes, the island's liquid wastes, and the contaminants they gather from the Rio Ozama in the same place. Conceivably they could pipe each effluent stream to different end-points far apart, but that would be very, very costly...

I have yet to see a scientific study of the comtaminants in the Ozama, although I have heard plenty of stories of clandestine industrial dumping in that water body. If even half of them are true, Novo Mundo may be in for an unpleasant surprise in carrying out their project...

The environmental impact report still has to be done in the area prior to receiving the building permits from the Environmental department of the multiple of permits needed.

If I get my hands on the results, I'll contact you as soon as possible...

[Hillbilly]

a bunch of crap floating along the seashore.

I look at the numbers and think of "numb"......

they talk of $850 million like it was grains of sand.

Remember they are the promoters of the project and P.T. Barnum was a promoter and his most famous phrase was "There's one born every second." ("one"= sucker).

This Bofill comes here with a great rep, says Santo Domingo is mostly a pile of doo-doo and needs this and that. Then a few weeks later he is the ""face" of this project. Doesn't it just stick in your craw?

And so far, nobody has said a thing about exposure to hurricanes. High rise building just sitting out there on an artificial island with a CAT 3-4 or 5 coming down on them...I won't shed a freaking tear or send a peso to help those idiots....

Keith, this has all the markings of a huge boondoggle. Your most acute observations are so true they hurt to read them.

I happen to know Elogio Santaella and he is a lynx!! A well trained lynx but I just know he is out for the buck...

HB

[Keith R]

I forgot to add in my earlier post that desalination plants -- which the Novo Mundo planners say they are contemplating -- tend to be large draws on power supplies (even the more energy efficient plants draw about 1 kWh per cubic meter of potable water produced) and take up a fair bit of space. A plant capable of supplying the projected residents/business/visitors of the artificial island would require about 30,000 kWh per day (remember, this would be above and beyond the NM's other power needs).

[Keith R]

Originally Posted by Nal0whs

The environmental impact report still has to be done in the area prior to receiving the building permits from the Environmental department of the multiple of permits needed.

If I get my hands on the results, I'll contact you as soon as possible...

From today's Clave Digital:

El secretario de Medio Ambiente, Max Puig, advirtió que todavía no ha recibido ninguna solicitud formal para el estudio de impacto ambiental del proyecto de isla artificial que se propone construir en la costa de Santo Domingo el arquitecto español Ricardo Bofill. Por cierto, que es el único funcionario público que recordó que en el país existe alguna ley que los inversionistas deben cumplir.

http://www.clavedigital.com.do/Firma..._Articulo=5717

[Criss Colon]

The "Supporters" of this project sound like a bunch of "Ghetto Pimps" trying to outdo each other with their stories about their "so called" future economic endeavors!
This is nothing more than a huge publicity stunt!

"A House Built Upon The Sand Can Not Stand"!


"Nuff" said!

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCC

[Keith R]

From today's DR1 News:

Academy opposes artificial island
The Dominican Republic Academy of Sciences, in its capacity as advisor to the National Congress, is opposing the approval of the planned Novo Mundo XXI artificial island project, to be built off the coast of Santo Domingo by Canadian company Santo Domingo Re-Development Ltd. The academy has analyzed legal, economic, geological, climatic, architectural, urban, sanitary engineering and marine biology issues related to the project. According to Diario Libre, it determined that the geological conditions in the proposed site have not been studied and that a catastrophe such as an earthquake or tsunami, during or after construction, could take place. The academy points out that the material from the excavation of the metro cannot be used in the construction of the island due to the marine currents and strong waves. The project also has serious sanitary and environmental implications if one considers that the Caribbean Sea is currently over-saturated with sewage disposal from other sources. The academy observes an excessive interest from the promoters of the project to have it approved faster than prudence indicates. It claims that the approval of the artificial island would contravene numerous articles of Law 64-00 regarding the requirement to present an environmental impact survey. It would also break the law on state-owned coastal and marine resources, which are inalienable.

Nice to see that at least some are advising Congress that this project is wacko! Now if only Congress will listen!

I was hoping CC, Rob, Dolores & others were right about this being a publicity stunt or bad dream or fantasy that would just fade away, but the fact that it has gone as far as it has already concerns me....

[Texas Bill]

If enough money has passed hands, it won't matter what the opposition amounts to or where the opposition is saying. The project will get approved regardless of the laws it violates, the lack of an Environmental Impact Study or a Direct Message From Heaven!

Leonel's Administration is rapidly proving to be just as corrupt as Hipolito's was.
Between the startup of the "Underground" in Santo Domingo, the Tourist Island, and all the other so called "Projects" that will soak up available loan money, this country will end up worse off than Haiti.
These "scumbags" in the Administration and the Legislature are still nothing but glorified crooks, no matter what name you give them otherwise.

Texas Bill