Health Officials To Visit
Manuel Antonio Park on Friday
Officials of the Ministerio de Salud (Health ministry) said that
they have programmed a visit to the Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio
to confirm, or not, if the park is in compliance with a sanitary
order issued last week that gave the park until today to clean up
its act.
The park, one of the most visited in the country, was found with
sanitary problems at the park, which include sewage draining from
the bathrooms into the local water, garbage problems and poor health
conditions at the ranger housing complex.
Accompanying Salud officials will be officials of the Acueductos y
Alcantarillados (AyA - water and sewer utility), the Ministerio de
Ambiente, Energía y Telecomunicaciones (MINAET - environment
ministry), and local businessmen.
María Luisa Ávila, ministra de Salud, said that the inspection is
verify the park's condition and to reach an agreement to keep the
park open.
"The more serious problems of sanitation at the park can be solved,
like the overflowing of toilets. In a time of financial crisis we
have to think of how a closure could affect the people that live off
the park", said Ávila.
However, the minister added that the priority in this case is also
to protect the lives of people and the environment.
"The most serious problem is the sewage, spilling from the toilets
used by visitors and park employees into the lagoon and obviously we
cannot allow this continue", said Ávila.
The local chamber of commerce, the Aguirre Chamber of Commerce,
Industry and Tourism, is looking for an extension from the ministra,
telling the minister in a letter that the long term solutions to the
problem require more than 10 days.
The ministerio de Salud intervened in the areas of Jacó, Tamarindo,
Playas del Coco and Playas de Doña Ana in the past, which had
similar problems of Manuel Antonio.
Like the afore mentioned beaches, Manuel Antonio will certainly Blue
Flag which recognizes cleanliness and eco-friendliness in the
country's beaches. The Blue Flag status can be reinstated once the
park cleans up the problem.
The Blue Flag Ecological Program was created in response to the
imminent dangers of beach pollution, its repercussions on public
health and the tourism industry. It has reached its twelfth year of
operations, with a marked increase that began in 2002.
A map of the beaches with Blue Flag status can be found on the
Tourism Board (ICT) website at:
http://www.visitcostarica.com/ict/paginas/mapas/areasurf.asp#
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