The United Workers Party (UWP) – Team Dominica joins the residents of Concord, Kalinago Territory and Marigot, environmentalists, geologists and other concerned citizens in calling for a complete halt to the illegal quarry activity currently taking place at Deux Branche in Concord. This development has resulted in disastrous negative impacts to the Pagua River such as sedimentation of the river, disruption of the lives of residents of Concord and loss of their recreational, tourism, and food sources.

It is also our understanding that this development has not been granted planning permission under the Physical Planning Act. Section 17(1) of the act prohibits any person from carrying out any development of land except under and in accordance with the terms of a development permission granted by the Development and Planning Authority, prior to the commencement of such development. The Act also lists quarry as an activity which requires an environmental impact assessment. The UWP and the people of Dominica are disturbed by this blatant disregard of the Physical Planning Act, in the name of the international airport project and other related developments. As a result, these projects are causing significant negative impacts and stress for residents in the communities from Concord to Woodford Hill.

The necessity for environmental impact studies should not be trivialized, because such studies provide detailed analysis of the environmental, social and economic impact of a project and recommend appropriate mitigation measures to reduce these impacts. An EIA may also recommend that the proposed site is unsuitable for the development, due to the severity of the impacts of the development. Of equal concern is the knowledge that the project will encroach on the Central Forest Reserve, which is Dominica’s oldest protected rainforest, established in 1952. This reserve is a key feature of the island’s remarkable natural heritage and stands out as a sanctuary for rare plants and animals, offering a habitat that supports unique ecosystems.

The Central Forest Reserve is protected under the Forests Act, Forestry and Wildlife Act, National Parks and Protected Areas Act and the National Forest Policy (2022), to ensure sustainable management, conservation, watershed protection, and biodiversity preservation. Once again, the UWP calls on the Roosevelt Skerrit administration to halt this destructive development and seek an alternative site for quarrying in an area where the impact will be significantly reduced.