Submitted by: Jeffery Cutler
There have been a lot on people complaining lately about the Costa Rican Environment Tribunal’s decision to halt construction of the San Jose-Caldera highway pending more detailed environmental impact studies. While I understand their desire to see the project finished, damaging the environment to do it simply is not worth it.
The problem began in May when the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Technology (MINAET) disregarded the plans showing that the Barva aquifer rises to within five meters of the surface and dug a trench 15 to 20 meters deep, piercing the aquifer.
Although Costa Rica is mostly rainforest, water is a precious and limited resource here and care needs to be taken to assure that the existing aquifers remain stable and uncontaminated. A project with this high of potential impact should not be pushed through just so weekenders and tourists can cut an hour off their travel time to the coast.
I applaud the government for upholding and enforcing the regulations it’s put in place to protect the environment, which is really the most important resource we have.
*The views and opinions expressed in the above article are solely those of the author and do not reflect those of TheCostaRicaNews.com
