El proyecto Central Termoeléctrica Punta Alcalde contempla de dos unidades generadoras, sumando una capacidad instalada total de 740 MW. Hay alarma de la población de Huasco, ya muy castigada por la contaminación del combustible petcoke de la termoeléctrica Guacolda. Punta Alcalde (Endesa), Huasco, Chile El proyecto Central Termoeléctrica Punta Alcalde contempla de dos unidades generadoras, sumando una capacidad instalada total de 740 MW. Hay alarma de la población de Huasco, ya muy castigada por la contaminación del combustible petcoke de la termoeléctrica Guacolda. |
Description:
Basic Data
| Name of conflict: | Punta Alcalde power plant, Huasco, Chile |
| Country: | Chile |
| State or province: | Atacama |
| Location of conflict: | Huasco |
| Accuracy of location | HIGH (Local level) |
Source of Conflict
| Type of conflict. 1st level: | Industrial and Utilities conflicts |
| Type of conflict. 2nd level: | Thermal power plants |
| Specific commodities: | Electricity Coal |
Project Details and Actors
| Project details | Central termoeléctrica de 740 MW |
| Project area: | 200 |
| Level of Investment for the conflictive project | 600,000,000 |
| Type of population | Urban |
| Affected Population: | 6000 |
| Start of the conflict: | 2010 |
| Company names or state enterprises: | Naturgy (Naturgy) from Spain ENEL Group (Enel) from Italy |
| Relevant government actors: | Corte Suprema, Comisión de Evaluación Ambiental Regional de Atacama |
| Environmental justice organizations (and other supporters) and their websites, if available: | Padres de alumnos enfermos, Buzos mariscadores, Pescadores artesanales |
Conflict & Mobilization
| Intensity | MEDIUM (street protests, visible mobilization) |
| Reaction stage | PREVENTIVE resistance (precautionary phase) |
| Groups mobilizing: | Local ejos Local government/political parties Neighbours/citizens/communities Local scientists/professionals Families of children, ill beause of pollution in Huasco. Fisher people |
| Forms of mobilization: | Creation of alternative reports/knowledge Lawsuits, court cases, judicial activism |
Impacts
| Environmental Impacts | Potential: Air pollution, Biodiversity loss (wildlife, agro-diversity), Food insecurity (crop damage), Loss of landscape/aesthetic degradation, Soil contamination, Surface water pollution / Decreasing water (physico-chemical, biological) quality, Groundwater pollution or depletion |
| Other Environmental impacts | The project has not started yet, all impacts are picked as potential |
| Health Impacts | Potential: Exposure to unknown or uncertain complex risks (radiation, etc…), Other environmental related diseases |
| Other Health impacts | Respiratory problems. The project has not started yet, all impacts are picked as potential |
| Socio-economical Impacts | Potential: Land dispossession, Loss of landscape/sense of place |
| Other socio-economic impacts | The project has not started yet, all impacts are picked as potential |
Outcome
| Project Status | Planned (decision to go ahead eg EIA undertaken, etc) |
| Conflict outcome / response: | Court decision (failure for environmental justice) Strengthening of participation Technical solutions to improve resource supply/quality/distribution A fines de noviembre de 2013, la Tercera Sala de la Corte Suprema adoptó un acuerdo en el cual se confirmaría la resolución de primera instancia que paralizó el proyecto termoeléctrico de Endesa, Punta Alcalde, porque la propuesta de implementación de un filtro NO tuvo ningún tipo de consulta ciudadana. Ya existen 4 recursos ambientales de protección presentados por huasquinos, políticos, pescadores y ambientalistas, para frenar la construcción de la termoeléctrica Punta Alcalde. Sigue siendo de importancia incluir a las comunidades afectadas, aunque su decisión no fuera vinculante. |
| Proposal and development of alternatives: | There is a discussion on the requirement of a public consultation to approve a filter than Endesa would install |
| Do you consider this an environmental justice success? Was environmental justice served?: | Not Sure |
| Briefly explain: | The local government and environmental groups obtained an injuction to stop the project, under review in the Supreme Court that will be resolved in November 2013. En enero 2014, "Endesa Chile quedó autorizada a proceder con su controvertido proyecto de 740MW Punta Alcalde luego de que la Corte Suprema revocara una resolución anterior contraria al permiso ambiental emitido a la planta" [1] |
Sources & Materials
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| Related media links to videos, campaigns, social network |
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Meta information
| Contributor: | Joan Martinez Alier & Talia Waldron |
| Last update | 18/08/2019 |
| Conflict ID: | 351 |
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