The Chilean port of Quintero and adjacent Puchuncaví have made themselves known for their pollution in the 2010s and 2020s. They have together been characterized as a sacrifice zone.[1] The zone hosts the coal-fired Ventanas Power Plant, an oil refinery, a cement storage, Fundición Ventanas, a copper foundry and refinery, a lubricant factory and a chemical terminal.[1] In total 15 polluting companies operate in the area.[2]

In 1992 there was a judicial appeal filed by five women from Puchuncavi against Fundición Ventanas and Chilgener, this was filed against the refinery for the toxic clouds it emitted.[3] In areas near the polluting industries, testing in 1997 showed high levels copper in the soil.[4] High level of selenium and copper were also found in rainwater near the industries.[4] In 2011, Escuela La Greda located in Puchuncaví, was engulfed in a chemical cloud from the Ventanas Industrial Complex. The sulfur cloud poisoned an estimated 33 children and 9 teachers, resulting in the relocation of the school. The old location of the school is now abandoned.[5] In August and September 2018 there was a public health crisis in Quintero and Puchuncaví, where over 300 people experienced illness from toxic substances in the air, coming from the polluting industries.[6]

In 2022 the environmental conditions of Quintero, Puchuncaví and Concón were discussed in the Senate of Chile.[7]

In June 2022 President Gabriel Boric announced Codelco's decision to beggin a closure process of Fundición Ventanas.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 "¿Qué son las zonas de sacrificio de Chile?". El Diario (in Spanish). 2019-12-05. Retrieved 2022-12-09.
  2. ↑ "Quintero y Puchuncaví: La zona de sacrificio". La Tercera (in Spanish). 25 August 2018.
  3. ↑ Bolados García, Paola; Sánchez Cuevas, Alejandra; Bolados García, Paola; Sánchez Cuevas, Alejandra (July 2017). "Una ecología política feminista en construcción: El caso de las 'Mujeres de zonas de sacrificio en resistencia', Región de Valparaíso, Chile" [A feminist political ecology under construction: The case study of 'Women of sacrifice zones in resistance', Valparaíso Region, Chile]. Psicoperspectivas (in Spanish). 16 (2): 33–42. doi:10.5027/psicoperspectivas-vol16-issue2-fulltext-977.
  4. 1 2 De Gregori, I.; Lobos, G.; Lobos, S.; Pinochet, H.; Potin-Gautier, M.; Astruc, M. (March 2000). "Comparative Study of Copper and Selenium Pollution in Agricultural Ecosystems from Valparaiso Region, Chile". Environmental Technology. 21 (3): 307–316. doi:10.1080/09593332108618112. S2CID 97584315.
  5. ↑ Astudillo, Daniela (6 April 2019). "La olvidada escuela la Greda". La Tercera (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-01-08.
  6. ↑ "Chile: Supreme Court Hears Massive Air Pollution Case". Human Rights Watch. 11 April 2019. Retrieved 2023-01-08.
  7. 1 2 "Quintero- Puchuncaví: Comisión de Medio Ambiente analizó efectos del cierre de la fundición Codelco Ventanas". senado.cl (in Spanish). Senate of Chile. 2022-06-22. Retrieved 2023-01-08.
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