Haina Pollution

Haina Pollution

Bojas de Haina is commonly referred to as the ‘Dominican Chernobyl’. According to the UN it has the highest lead contamination in the world. The contamination was believed to have been caused by a nearby automobile battery recycling smelter called Baterias Meteoro, the slag from the furnaces leaked into the town’s soil, water and food supplies leaving the town with the worst lead pollution the world has ever had.

Health Effects

The health effects from the poisoning were...

·         Neurological damage

·         Reduced IQ

·         Anemia

·         Nerve disorder

·         Loss of memory

·         Concentration infertility

·         Increased blood pressure

·         Chronic headaches

Clean-up plan

The IA coalition, government, academics and NGO’s came together to devise a careful clean-up plan in which they moved the smelter to a more secluded spot with new safety regulations in which a law stated how international communities must pay attention to the full circle of the disposal of the materials.

No deaths were reported states the Dominican Republic government however there was a large amount of permanent damage to the children of Haina and the town is still in its clean-up process, dealing with small pockets of lead poisoning.