James Cadet, the Minister of the Environment expresses his sympathies to the victims and families bereaved by the major earthquake which hit the greater southern region on Saturday August 14 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34479-haiti-flash-magnitude-72-earthquake-in-the-nippes.html causing loss of human life and considerable material damage https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34507-haiti-flash-1-417-dead-6-975-injured-84-225-houses-destroyed-or-damaged-partial-assessment.html

The Minister recalls that the aftershocks already recorded combined with the abundant rains linked to the passage of tropical storm "Grace" [orange alert on Haiti] are likely to make fragile areas even more vulnerable to landslides.

In the name of the principle of precaution and prudence, the Ministry decreed the suspension until further notice, of the exploitation activities of the sand quarries in particular in the departments of Nippes, South and Grand-Anse, affected by the earthquake and in geologically unstable environments in other departments of the country, with reference to the Law of August 9, 1976, the Decree of 2005 and the Decree of September 9, 2013.

Minister Cadet took the opportunity to request the collaboration of the judicial system and its auxiliaries in order to scrupulously enforce this suspension.

The Ministry emphasizes that this decision does not repeal the measures prohibiting the exploitation of mines and sand quarries located in Kenscoff, Laboule and Morne à Cabri.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34507-haiti-flash-1-417-dead-6-975-injured-84-225-houses-destroyed-or-damaged-partial-assessment.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34479-haiti-flash-magnitude-72-earthquake-in-the-nippes.html

HL/ HaitiLibre