No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveResidents to Decide on Pacuare Dam Proposal

Residents to Decide on Pacuare Dam Proposal

THE fate of a proposal to build ahydroelectric dam on the Pacuare River –a project opponents say will kill life andrecreation on the river – will be decidedby residents, the Municipality of Turrialbahas announced.The idea of allowing voters in the cantonof Turrialba to decide the future of thecontroversial Caribbean-slope projectcame from Mayor Marvin Orocú and wasapproved by the Municipal Council,according to the Municipality. Officialsdetermined it should be the people, not aminority, who set the criteria of whether adam should be built in the community, thedaily La Nación reported.The dam, which has been plannedsince 1996 and would begin operation in2012, would produce 158 megawattsannually, according to officials from theCosta Rican Electricity Institute (ICE). Itwould be built approximately 70 kilometerseast of San José (TT, Sept. 24, 2004).Opponents say the project would floodmuch of the wilderness around the river,including various communities and part ofthe Alto Chirripó Indigenous Reserve. Itwould also have detrimental effects on thetourism industry, because a dam woulddramatically change water flow and affectthe river’s world-renowned rapids,employees of the tourism sector say.“It would create an unnecessary dam onone of the most beautiful rivers of theworld,” said Rafael Gallo, president of RíosTropicales, one of the principal rafting companiesthat operates on the Pacuare.Gallo said approximately 40,000 peopleraft the Pacuare every year.ICE officials have defended the projectand say Costa Rica has an importanthydroelectric potential of which it is notfully taking advantage.Gallo called the municipality’s decisionto let residents vote “excellent.”“I sense that the people will opposethe project. The community has reallyjoined forces in opposition,” he said. “Thecommunity of Turrialba has already had abad experience with a dam. On theReventazón River (dam project), they told(residents) it would be a beautiful reservoirfor tourism and it has only been a bigmud puddle.”Dam opponents said they are organizingmeetings to inform residents of theirposition and plan to initiate an informationcampaign. No date has been set for thevote, according to the municipality.

Trending Now

2025 Gold Cup: Honduras Advances After Dramatic Shootout, Mexico Ends Goal Drought

Honduras, with a surprising and dramatic penalty shootout victory over Panama, and Mexico, with a lackluster win against Saudi Arabia, advanced Saturday to the...

Guatemala Offers Asylum to Nicaraguan Migrants Deported by U.S.

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo announced on Friday that his country will grant asylum to Nicaraguan migrants deported by the United States who do not...

Retired Nicaraguan Army Captain Sentenced to 50 Years for Treason

A retired military officer was sentenced to 50 years in prison in Nicaragua for the crime of "treason against the homeland," his family denounced...

An Expat’s Take: 5 Burning Questions About Life in Costa Rica Right Now

Have you been keeping up with the various events taking place in Costa Rica? There is always something interesting going down, and here are...

Alligator Alcatraz: Trump’s Everglades Migrant Camp Draws Protests and Criticism

US President Donald Trump toured a new Florida migrant detention center dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz" on Tuesday, boasting about the harsh conditions and joking that...

Costa Rica Maintains Economic Stability Amid Global Tensions

Costa Rica is holding steady economically despite global tensions sparked by conflicts involving Israel, the United States, and Iran, according to Federico Quesada Chaves,...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica