With all the media and publicity that Costa Rica does for being such a “green” country and protecting their environment needs to possible live up to their words. Everyone knows here that the Tarcoles River is one of the most polluted rivers in Central and South America, the sewer system drains right into the ocean, and unless it is in one of the protected national parks in Costa Rica the forests are being cut down to make room for half built condo projects.
Environmental experts estimated at $10.4 M environmental damage caused by the mining project Crucitas in San Carlos Cutris.
This amount includes, among others, the cost of environmental damage generated by the cutting of trees on 60 hectares, the impact on vegetation, soil, protecting water sources and even scenic beauty.
It also provides for the cost of remediation of the affected area.
This information was confirmed by Alvaro Sagot, an environmental lawyer and one of the plaintiffs.
To this sum specialists suggest applying a social discount rate of 3%, bringing the amount would drop to about $ 6 million.
The decision on whether the discount is the judge will make the execution of sentence, said the lawyer Edgardo Araya.
The assessment involved an environment expert economist, a biologist, an agricultural engineer and a forester.
This case concerns the plan of Industrias Infinito to extract 800,000 ounces of gold in the area known as Cutris of San Carlos, Alajuela.
The initiative was buried after the Administrative Court annulled in November 2010 the concession granted by the State to that company.
The judgment was upheld by the First Chamber of the Supreme Court a year later.
As part of the execution of the judgment, the Court required the plaintiffs to identify and quantify the environmental damage and the cost of remediation.
The expert report was incorporated on Monday filed.
Now, the judge must share it with those involved and then call them to a hearing to review the document.
At that meeting involving representatives of Industrias Infinito, the Attorney General’s Office and the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC), which must bear the costs.
Yokebec Soto, press spokeswoman for Industrias Infinito, said he had not yet been notified, but they know the damage estimate.
“While we have some differences with respect to amount, which we will discuss in next hearing, we agree with the expertise in the sense that the company made a series of measures to mitigate environmental impacts in a timely manner, resulting a significant rate of discount, “said Soto.
