A contentious environmental transparency dispute has emerged in Dominica regarding the Deux Branches quarry project, following months of advocacy by environmental activists. The Save Deux Branches initiative has forced the public release of Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) amid mounting allegations that the quarry operation may serve as cover for unauthorized copper mining activities allegedly sanctioned by local authorities.
The documents’ disclosure method has sparked significant concerns about governmental transparency and community rights. According to reports, the Physical Planning Division provided only three physical copies at their Roseau office, restricting viewing time to 90 minutes per person. Notably, no copies were made available digitally or provided to the Kalinago Territory community, which stands to be most affected by the project scheduled to commence in 2026.
In response to these access limitations, activists and community members took independent action by scanning, uploading, and distributing the documents themselves. They delivered physical copies to the Kalinago Council office, asserting that environmental information access constitutes a fundamental right rather than a privilege for affected communities.
With merely seven days remaining for public commentary submission, the situation has intensified into an urgent accountability matter. The assessments themselves reveal multiple concerning discrepancies: project maps indicate the quarry overlaps the Northern Forest Reserve despite official claims of no protected land impact; three ESIA versions contain conflicting factual information; no experts are identified or qualified within the report; and scientific assessments across geological, ecological, and hydrological domains appear substantially superficial.
Additionally, the documents fail to reference international treaties including the Escazú Agreement and ILO Convention 169, which protect environmental information rights and Indigenous communities’ right to free, prior, and informed consent. The Save Deux Branches initiative urges public review and commentary submission to physicalplanning@dominica.gov.dm before the March 30 deadline, emphasizing that each submission is officially recorded and can influence the decision-making process. Documents are accessible via tinyurl.com/dbESIAfiles.