Protests against toxic gold mining in the Caribbean

This is not the first time there has been a problem with mining in the Dominican Republic. An abandoned mine in the central mountain range also used cyanide in its operations, and in the process, polluted the rivers, ground water and soils of the region, right in the middle of the island's largest fresh water reservoir.

Other countries are aware of the damage caused by cyanide in mining. The European Parliament voted in May 2010 to ban cyanide throughout the European Union. Although so far, the European Commission has not agreed to the proposal, Germany, Turkey, the Czech Republic and Hungary have already banned the use of cyanide in mining.

Cyanide is particularly dangerous for the aquatic environment and will affect rivers originating in that region. This region also contains the largest freshwater reservoir in the country, which supplies the entire island nation of Dominican Republic
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