EIA Law Matrix

Dominican Republic
EIA Procedure
Projects Requiring EIA: Government projects, Private projects
Abridged Assessments: Yes
Abridged Assessments Detail: Category C and D projects result in minimum environmental impacts, and their assessment do not rise to the level of a full EIA. Upon receipt of the application, the Ministry will visit the project and will write a report establishing that the project meets either Category C or D criteria. EIA Compendium, Environmental Impact Assessment Procedures, Arts. 3.2.4 and 3.2.5.
Best Practices in Lieu of EIA: No
Who Conducts Screening: Government
Who Conducts Screening Detail: Any project, infrastructure, industry, or any other activity that may affect the environment and natural resources shall obtain an environmental permit from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. Law 64-00, Art. 40; EIA Compendium, Environmental Assessment Process Regulations, Art. 21.
Criteria for Screening: List or appendix of project or activity types, Proposed project or activity may cause significant environmental impact
Criteria for Screening Detail: Any project, infrastructure, industry, or any other activity that may affect the environment and natural resources shall obtain an environmental permit from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. Law 64-00, Art. 40. See also Law 64-00, Art. 41 with a non-exhaustive list of projects that require an EIA process and EIA Compendium, Annex A with a list of projects and activities and their respective permit categories.
Who Prepares EIA: Project Proponent (with or without contractor)
Who Prepares EIA Detail: EIA Compendium, Environmental Assessment Process Regulations, Art. 22.
Who Pays for EIA: Project Proponents
Who Pays for EIA Detail: All payments regarding the EIA process must be borne by the project proponent which will be non-refundable. Law 64-00, Art. 42. See also EIA Compendium, Environmental Assessment Process Regulations, Art. 44.
EIA Contractor Qualifications: Yes
EIA Contractor Qualifications Detail: The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources adopted regulations in 2005 to establish the requirements and qualifications for EIA contractors and environmental consultants. See http://ambiente.gob.do/transparencia/base-legal-de-la-institucion/reglamentos/
Conflict of Interest: No
Terms of Reference: Yes
Terms of Reference Detail: EIA Compendium, Environmental Impact Assessment Procedures, Art. 3.3.
Days for Decision Maker Review: 126-190 days
Automatic Approval: N/A
Written Decision: Yes
Written Decision Detail: The EIA process will culminate with the decision of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources which will be communicated in writing to the project proponent. EIA Compendium, Environmental Assessment Process Regulations, Art. 33.
Authority to Impose Conditions: Yes
Authority to Impose Conditions Detail: The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, based on the nomenclature of the activity, work, or project, shall issue the technical standards, structure, content, provisions and methodological guidelines necessary for the duration of the validity of environmental permits and licenses, which will be established according to the magnitude of the environmental impacts. Law 64-00, Art. 42, para. I.
Expiry of Decision: 5 years
Expiry of Decision Detail: EIA Compendium, Environmental Assessment Process Regulations, Art. 8.
Financial Assurances or Bond: Yes
Financial Assurances or Bond Detail: The project proponent must provide an environmental bond equivalent to ten percent (10 %) of the total costs and investments of the project. Law 64-00, Art. 47.
EIA Content
Interdisciplinary Team: Yes
Interdisciplinary Team Detail: EIA reports must be prepared by an interdisciplinary team of EIA contractors and environmental consultants. EIA Compendium, Environmental Assessment Process Regulations, Art. 26.
Range of Alternatives: No
No Action Alternative: No
Type(s) of Impact Analysis: Direct environmental impacts, Cumulative environmental impacts, Social impacts
Mitigation: No
Monitoring Plans: No
Access to Information
Public Notice of Draft EIA: No
Draft EIA Available: No
Draft EIA Available Detail: A draft EIA is not made available for public review.
Draft EIA Locations: Not available
Public Notice of Final EIA: Yes
Public Notice of Final EIA Detail: The project proponent must give public notice of the final EIA in a national newspaper. See EIA Compendium, Environmental Impact Assessment Procedures, Art. 4.6.
Final EIA Available: Yes
Final EIA Available Detail: The Department for Social Participation of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources will maintain a copy of the EIA report for consultation purposes. See EIA Compendium, Environmental Assessment Process Regulations, Art. 38.
Final EIA Locations: Agency or ministry office
Fee to View EIA Documents: No
Availability of Reference Studies: No
Availability of Reference Studies Detail: The EIA law and regulations do not require reference studies to be made available for public inspection.
Public Notice of Final Decision: Yes
Public Notice of Final Decision Detail: Yes
Public Participation
Public Scopingtigation: Yes
Public Scoping Detail: EIA Compendium, Environmental Impact Assessment Procedures, Art. 4.
Public Review of TOR: No
Public Review of TOR Detail: Members of the public are not permitted to review the terms of reference before it is finalized.
Public Participation Opportunities: Scoping, Public Meetings and/or public hearings, Review of final EIA
Public Meetings: Yes
Public Meetings Detail: Category A and B projects require public meetings. See EIA Compendium, Environmental Impact Assessment Procedures, Art. 4.1 and 4.2.
Public Input at Meeting: Yes
Public Input at Meeting Detail: Members of the public are permitted to speak at the public meeting. The results of the discussions must be documented through pictures, videos, transcripts of discussion, participants registry, among others. See Environmental Impact Assessment Procedures, Art. 4.2.
Criteria to Hold Public Meeting: Public meeting and/or hearing is automatically required
Public Comments on Draft EIA: No
Public Comments on Final EIA: 15 days
Public Comments on Final EIA Detail: Any interested party, and the public in general, will have fifteen working days, after the EIA is published in a national newspaper, to provide comments that will be taken into consideration in the EIA process. See EIA Compendium, Environmental Assessment Process Regulations, Art. 38.
Response to Public Comments: Yes
Response to Public Comments Detail: Comments and observations received in the public consultation process will be part of the information to be considered by the Ministry to make a final the decision. EIA Compendium, Environmental Assessment Process Regulations, Art. 40.
Facilitation of Public Participation: No
Judicial Review/Enforcement
Citizen Administrative Review: Yes
Citizen Judicial Review: Yes
Citizen Judicial Review Detail: Citizens can seek judicial review from administrative decisions in the Courts of First Instance. See generally Law No. 821 of Judicial Organization.
Project Monitoring: Yes
Project Monitoring Detail: The project proponent must submit environmental compliance reports periodically to the Ministry for review. The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources must also conduct environmental inspections for monitoring and control purposes. EIA Compendium, Environmental Assessment Process Regulations, Arts. 41 and 42.
Enforceability of EIA: Yes
Enforceability of Permit: Yes
Enforceability of Permit Detail: Citizens may file complaints before the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to enforce the terms and conditions included in the permit or license, especially when there is environmental damage or degradation. Law 64-00, Art. 176.