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Quintero zona de catástrofe

By René Cumplido - El Ciudadano, October 28, 2014

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are not the official position of the IWW (or even the IWW’s EUC) and do not necessarily represent the views of anyone but the author’s.

La gran mancha de petróleo derramado aún permanece en el fondo de la bahía de Quintero según el informe dado a conocer por las autoridades este fin de semana. Según el biólogo marino Hugo Poblete, del Movimiento de Pescadores Artesanales de Quintero, el nivel de PH en las aguas arroja una acidez de 2,7, lo que provoca la muerte de toda la flora y fauna del lugar.

Esto coincide con la última declaración de la Enap, propietaria del crudo, reconociendo que el derrame, hasta el momento, supera los 22 mil litros, una cifra diez veces mayor a la dada a conocer durante la semana pasada.

Entre el puerto de Ventanas y  la empresa Oxiquim, en una superficie de 1.800 metros de largo por cinco metros de ancho,  la playa quedó cubierta por petróleo crudo, el que lentamente, pese a los esfuerzos de los equipos de limpieza, comenzó a desplazarse a través de las corrientes por toda la bahía.

La mancha de petróleo aún es visible en el mar en una extensión de 25 kilómetros entre la península de Los Molles hasta cerca de Chachagua, sumando más de 20 playas y pequeños requeríos contaminados con el crudo. Al acercarse, por ejemplo, a playa Las Conchitas, a varios kilómetros del accidente, y aunque la empresa ya dio por concluidas las labores de limpieza, aún se observan restos de hidrocarburos en las algas de los requeríos.

Se estima que el derrame afectó directamente a una población cercana a las 1.200 personas que viven principalmente de la extracción de mariscos y de algas de la bahía y, de forma indirecta a otros mil que viven de actividades comerciales vinculadas al turismo. Hasta el momento la empresa sólo ha compensado con un bono de 700 mil pesos a un grupo de 560 pescadores vinculados a la extracción de la jibia, reconociendo que no podrán salir del puerto en por lo menos un mes.

Durante la primavera comienza la migración de miles de gaviotas Franklin, Piqueros y otras especies de aves que dejan el invierno canadiense para viajar hasta estas costas, a anidar, reproducirse y viajar nuevamente al norte en mayo. La muerte de la fauna marina en la bahía provocará la muerte de muchas especies de aves que necesitan alimentarse en nuestras costas.

Para muchos quinteranos el derrame de petróleo que se produjo era una “crónica de una muerte anunciada”, debido a que el alto tráfico de buques con hidrocarburos y otros de gran tonelaje que circulan por la bahía aumenta día a día, provocando los consiguientes accidentes propios de la faena de carga y descarga.

La bahía de Quintero desde hace más de 50 años es el paradigma de la contaminación ambiental en Chile. Primero, con la instalación de la fundición de cobre de Ventanas, lo que ha cambiado la temperatura y composición de las aguas, afectando gravemente a la flora y fauna marina del lugar y ha elevado los niveles de SO2 en el aire a niveles peligrosos para la vida humana. En este mismo parte industrial se han instalado otras seis empresas contaminantes como Oxiquim y Copec, protagonistas también de bochornosos eventos contaminantes.

El año 1999 se produjo un evento similar cuando se derramaron hidrocarburos de Cordex en Ventanas, lo que destruyó la posibilidad de establecer zonas de cultivo en la zona. Durante 2008 se derramó de 2-etil exanol en el estero de Campiche, en 2011 una nube tóxica afectó a los niños de la escuela La Greda, debiendo ser trasladados a varios kilómetros a una escuela nueva. En un asunto aún no aclarado, se produjo una masiva mortandad de sardinas en la playa de Ventanas. Desde 2008 se han producido más de 40 varamientos de carbón, aumentando al PH de las aguas de la bahía, destruyendo la flora y fauna marinas. Desde que se han estado haciendo monitoreos ambientales del aire que se respira en la bahía, se han registrado peak de SO2 en las localidades de Quintero, Maitenes y La Greda por sobre lo permitido en la legislación nacional.

Enap ya ha anunciado la construcción de dos nuevas termoeléctricas en la bahía, aportando con más contaminantes a una zona que ya está saturada.

Desde el Gobierno han anunciado también un nuevo tratado comercial con el gobierno de Estados Unidos para traer gas natural desde aquel país. Esto implicará la construcción de nuevas instalaciones en la zona y el permanente tráfico de buques de gran tonelaje. Ahora Quintero puede estar en una situación de riesgo aún mayor, especialmente si consideramos que muy cerca de las instalaciones de GNC, la compañía de gas natural, existe una pista de aterrizaje para aviones de combate, lo que pone en riesgo a los habitantes del poblado de Loncura, que se encuentra en medio.

La comunidad quinterana se está movilizando. El pasado domingo nos reunimos cerca de mil personas frente a la playa de Loncura para informar a la opinión pública la catástrofe ecológica que sufrimos y que ha sido sistemáticamente ignorada o silenciada por la prensa.

Estamos entusiastas por la alta convocatoria que alcanzamos. Sabemos que luchamos con gigantes y que no les importa la destrucción de nuestra bahía ni la calidad de vida de quienes vivimos junto a un mar que nos entrega los atardeceres más hermosos de Chile.

Por René Cumplido

Rough computerized translation into English:

Great stain of oil spilt still remains at the bottom of the Quintero Bay, according to the report released by authorities this weekend. According to marine biologist Hugo Poblete, movement of artisanal fishermen of Quintero, the level of PH in waters throws an acidity of 2.7, which causes the death of all the flora and fauna of the place.

This is consistent with the latest statement of the Enap, owner of the crude oil, recognizing that the spill so far, more than 22 thousand liters, a figure ten times greater than the one given to know during the last week.

Between the Windows port and the Oxiquim company, on a surface of 1,800 meters long and five meters wide, the beach was covered by crude oil, which slowly, despite the efforts of cleaning equipment, started to move through the currents across the Bay.

The oil slick is still visible in the sea in an area of 25 km between the peninsula of Los Molles until about Chachagua, adding more than 20 beaches and small require you contaminated with crude oil. Approach, for example, to Las Conchitas Beach, several kilometers from the accident, and although the company had already completed cleaning, there are still traces of hydrocarbons in the algae of the require you.

It is estimated that the spill directly affect a population of almost 1,200 people who mainly live extraction of shellfish and algae in the Bay, and indirectly to other thousands that live on tourism-related commercial activities. So far the company has only offset with a bonus of 700 thousand pesos to a group of 560 fishermen linked to the extraction of the cuttlefish, recognizing that they may not leave the port at least a month.

During the spring it begins the migration of thousands of seagulls Franklin, boobies and other species of birds that leave the Canadian winter to travel to these shores to nest, reproduce and travel back to the North in May. The death of the fauna in the Bay will cause the death of many species of birds that need to feed on our shores.

For many quinteranos the oil spill that occurred was a "Chronicle of a death foretold", due to high traffic of ships with hydrocarbons and other heavy goods that circulate around the Bay increases day by day, causing accident of the task of loading and unloading.

Quintero Bay for more than 50 years is the paradigm of environmental pollution in Chile. First, with the installation of the Windows copper smelter, which has changed the temperature and composition of the waters, seriously affecting the flora and fauna of the place and it has high levels of SO2 in air at levels dangerous to human life. In this same part of industrial pollutants such as Oxiquim and Copec six companies, have been installed protagonists also of sultry pollutants events.

The year 1999 came a similar event when spilled hydrocarbons of Cordex on Windows, which destroyed the possibility of establishing areas of cultivation in the area. During 2008 he poured out of 2-ethyl exanol in the estuary of Campiche, in 2011 a toxic cloud affected the children of the school La Greda, and must be moved several kilometres to a new school. In a matter not yet enlightened, came a mass mortality of sardines on the beach of Windows. Since 2008 they have produced more than 40 strandings of coal, increasing the PH of the waters of the Bay, destroying marine flora and fauna. Since you have been doing environmental monitoring of the air that is breathed in the Bay, have been recorded peak of SO2 in the towns of Quintero, Maitenes and the clay above as permitted by national law.

ENAP already he has announced the construction of two new power stations in the Bay, providing with more pollutants to an area which is already saturated.

From the Government have also announced a new trade treaty with the United States Government to bring natural gas from that country. This will involve the construction of new facilities in the area and the permanent traffic of large-tonnage vessels. Now Quintero may be at an even greater risk, especially if we consider that very near CNG facilities, natural gas company, there is a runway for fighter aircraft, which puts at risk to the inhabitants of the village of Loncura, which is located in the middle.

The quinterana community is mobilizing. Last Sunday we gather about thousand people in front of Loncura Beach to inform the public the ecological catastrophe that we suffer and that it has been systematically ignored or silenced by the press.

We are enthusiasts for the high call that we reached. We know that we are fighting with Giants and that you don't mind the destruction of our Bay or the quality of life of those who live next to a sea that gives us the most beautiful sunsets of Chile.

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