After the government’s announcement to close Codelco’s Ventanas Smelter located in the Quinteros slaughter zone, it was taken in a good way by the inhabitants who suffered the environmental impact and different environmental organizations. One of them was the Terram Foundation, who hope that this is the beginning of “environmental justice” in the area.
“From Fundación Terram, we welcome the courageous announcement by the Government of President Gabriel Boric Font, regarding the closure of Codelco’s Ventanas Copper Smelter. We hope that this measure is the first step to install an Environmental Justice process, absent from the public policies that affect the districts of Quintero and Puchuncaví, and thus progress towards an equitable distribution of the burden of benefits and / or damages, so that the inhabitants and the environment in this area stop being victims of the operational negligence of the companies, which capitalize on millionaire profits”, they commented from the agency through a statement.
They also added that “we trust that decisive progress will be made from now on to safeguard the right to education of children and adolescents in the area, who suffer the consequences of contamination, with the closure of establishments and/or cancellation of classes and who Also, together with all the inhabitants of the area, they are victims of the violation of their right to health.”
In turn, they indicated that “at Fundación Terram, we recognize that, although the Government of Chile has announced the closure of the Ventanas Foundry, this is not enough. Although this step is decisive and, we hope, without turning back, we ask the authorities to move forward firmly in other equally important measures, such as:
– Requirement of an Environmental Qualification Resolution for facilities prior to 1997, so that the authority can control them.
– Development of a comprehensive plan to improve the conditions and quality of life of the inhabitants of the area, which considers actions and measures to deal with the cumulative effects of all polluting industrial facilities located there.
– Improve and increase air quality monitoring stations, which effectively allow critical episodes to be prevented and the exact origin of polluting emissions to be known.
– Updating of air quality regulations. – Modification of the Valparaíso Metropolitan Regulatory Plan (PREMVAL) to prevent the entry of new industries to this Sacrifice Zone”.
