A proposed thermoelectric plant in northern Chile threatened to contaminate coastal ecosystems and local communities. On Monday, an appeals court shot down the proposal. The nearby agricultural community of Totorales and the penguins, turtles, and sea wolves that inhabit the coast have been protected.
The appellate ruling upheld a Supreme Court decision that the power plant had been illegally approved through a corrupt official. According to the Latin American Herald Tribune, the Health Ministry’s secretary for the Atacama Region, Raul Martinez, had compromised the environmental impact statement drafted by his predecessor by reducing the impact of the plant from “polluting” to “bothersome.” That seemingly small change enabled the project’s approval by Atacama’s Regional Environmental Council. Martinez has since resigned.
Global Greengrants grantee Latin American Observatory of Environmental Conflicts (OLCA) celebrated this precedent-setting victory. Lucio Cuenca, Executive Director of OLCA, remarked, “It is common to see this kind of government maneuvering clouded with money from corporations, where officials forget their responsibility and dedication to public service. However, it is unusual to see justice decided independently and in the best interest of communities. It is certainly a great joy and a very good precedent.”