AMCostaRica©
| ARCHIVE | PUBLISHED THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2018 |
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 By A.M. Costa Rica staff The Costa Rican Federation for the Conservation of the Environment filed a complaint at the Ministry of Health for possible mercury contamination in the gold extraction area in Crucitas, in Cutris in San Carlos, and asked the authorities to hold the land owners responsible for the cost of repairing the area’s environmental damage. According to the organization, 173,873 m3 of saprolitic material has been extracted (mainly earth and sand). "This means that about 0.5 percent of the total volume of material that Industrias Infinito said it would extract, according to its Environmental Impact Study, has been extracted," the federation said in a statement. Henry Picado, president of the Federation, said, "The mining company (referring to Industrias Infinito) planned to take out 33 million cubic meters, as long as they had the concession. In other words: the environmental impact that Industrias Infinito posed was at least 200 times greater than what the current problem of illegal mining represents. It must be remembered that Industrias infinito had an impact on a minimum area of 123 hectares, with depths of up to 75 meters." According to the organization, the impact of the activity of illegal miners (known as coligalleros) has caused mercury contamination of surface waters, possibly contaminating the surroundings of Finca Ninvoyet, in Crucitas in Cutris in San Carlos. The World Health Organization classifies mercury as a highly toxic substance that poses special public health problems. Ecologists say that illegal mining in Crucitas represents a danger to miners, their families, neighboring communities and life in general. In the environment, mercury emitted by illegal mining accumulates mainly in the form of inorganic mercury compounds such as mercury nitrate. Mining specialists report that extracting a gram of gold requires at least 14 grams of mercury. Mercury nitrate is produced in the chemical separation of the amalgam and deposited in the sediments of rivers and soils, where by bacterial action and under certain conditions, it can be converted into the far more toxic organic mercury compounds, especially methyl-mercury.
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 Casa
Presidencial courtesy photo
The activity of illegal miners has caused mercury contamination of surface waters. Mercury is highly toxic to people, as it can accumulate in aquatic organisms and pass to humans, for example, when consuming contaminated fish. "It is not easy to project when the illegal mining operation in Crucitas will end. We do not even have the exact assessment of how many hectares have been impacted, and according to the Environmental Impact Study of the Crucitas Mining Project, the sites that could have gold, are not only in Finca Ninvoyet, but also in other neighboring farms," ecologists said in a statement. Environmental lawyer, Alvaro Sagot, has said that there is a set of legal parameters that sets out the responsibilities of the companies involved and the health ministry. Those parameters relate “to the prevention, mitigation and remediation of contaminated soils.” The regulations provide guidelines for decontamination of mining sites and others. He considers it of “vital importance” to settle the responsibilities of the owners of the site so that there will be a precedent for other similar sites. Environmentalists agree that the property owners are responsible for the contamination on the site of illegal mining and for its clean-up. In 2008, former President Óscar Arias declared that the Crusitas Mining Project in Cutris in San Carlos, could take place, but, in 2010, the Legislative Assembly passed a law prohibiting open-pit metal mining in the country. |
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Government obtains $17.6 million loan for highway remodeling |
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By A.M. Costa Rica staff President Carlos Alvarado and Public Works Minister Rodolfo Méndez announced that construction will start on the viaduct on the current Garantias Sociales Highway in January. The announcement was made in the Presidential House, after the signing of the contract between the United Nations Office for Project Services, the organization in charge of the project and the MECO Company, responsible for building the road. Minister Méndez said, "This project on the Garantias Sociales road marks the beginning of the construction of large work in Circunvalación (the ring road), which also includes the roads of La Bandera and Guadalupe." The government said that the investment is $17.6 million, which includes a loan from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration. "This is a fundamental work to expedite traffic in the Metropolitan Area," said Minister Méndez. The new road will consist of 6 lanes, 3 per direction, and will impact 860 meters of the Circunvalación road in its eastern sector. Of that extension, the viaduct will be 500 meters. Méndez also said the work will start the second week of January 2019, with the felling of trees, the transfer of the monument of Garantias Sociales to a safe place and the generation of marginal lanes, which will be used by the drivers while the work is being carried out. President Alvarado said that the signing of this contract and the early start of the work are part of the efforts made by the government for a series of high-impact projects that will help improve vehicle dynamics. In addition, the president said that the National Plan of Development and Public Investment for the next four years, presented on Tuesday, December 11, contemplates the commitment to finalize, in this period, the construction of the overpasses in the Garantias Sociales Road and in the Guadalupe intersection, and advance up to 70 percent in the ring road know as La Bandera in San Pedro. |
 Public Works Ministry courtesy photo The investment is $17.6 million, which includes a loan from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration. Alejandro Rossi, Director of UN-OPS in Costa Rica, added "this construction is aimed at speeding up vehicular traffic at an emblematic point such as the monument of Garantias Sociales Road that will now be restored and surrounded by a landscape environment in accordance with its importance." Rossi also said that road safety will be improved through pylon screens and LED lighting and that the unevenness of the road will be used to replace storm drainage systems, ensuring the least interference during the entire construction process. Once in service, the viaduct will allow an uninterrupted passage from north to south and vice versa. It will have lines for buses and a new roundabout with landscaped design that is a novelty for the country, with a new, more attractive disposition of the Garantias Sociales monument. According to Ana Yancy Arce, manager of the construction company MECO, "With the project of the ring road Garantias Sociales began our commitment to work on increasing opportunities for women in a traditionally male sector." According to plan, the construction work will take 12 months and could be ready to be inaugurated in December 2019. |
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Red Cross calls for accident avoidance during the holidays |
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By A.M. Costa Rica staff The Costa Rica Red Cross announced operational plans focused on responding to emergency situations that arise during the holidays. It will have more than 900 volunteers ready to give assistance and support for any emergency in their auxiliary committees and regions. In 2018, the Red Cross handled 382,284 incidents throughout the country in which 1,360 people died. This figure exceeds the response to 373,869 accidents in 2017 as well as exceeding the number of deaths 1,346 people. Jim Batres, Sub Director of the Red Cross, said, "We want to make a vehement call to the population so that during this end of one year and the beginning of the next, they are more careful with their daily practices and activities.” Batres also said that people are often overconfident during their vacations and that being in an unfamiliar area can involve risks. People visiting the beach or rivers can enter the water without being aware of the current and rip tides. “Tourists should be more cautious and avoid situations that compromise their safety and that of their loved ones.” The organization will put in 1,100 specialists and 6,500 volunteers across the country and it has special units among which are: the Unit Search and Terrestrial Rescue, the KSAR Unit, Unit Search and Rescue Aquatic, and Special Unit First Responders. All institutional resources will be on alert to provide service and assistance when required. Specialists give five common travel-related accidents and tips for how to avoid them: While traveling, people are more likely to walk on uneven terrain such as cobblestone streets or dirt trails, and if they are carrying heavy luggage or a backpack it can throw off balance. Invest in a sturdy pair of hiking boots or athletic shoes. Pack in a way that provides a light and balanced load. Drink plenty of water and keep your energy up with snacks rich in carbs and protein. Travelers face a high risk of traffic and pedestrian accidents, especially when visiting foreign countries. If you plan on driving (especially in a foreign country), do your homework and familiarize yourself with local traffic laws and driving habits before you travel. When on vacation, active travelers often indulge in potentially dangerous outdoor activities such as water rafting, scuba diving or bungee jumping. |
 Costa Rica Red Cross courtesy photo In 2018,
the Red Cross handled
382,284 incidents
throughout the country
in which 1,360 people
died.
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