The superintendent of the Environment, Marie Claude Plumer, recalled that, with respect to serious infractions, the owners are exposed to fines of up to 5,000 UTA, along with the revocation of the RCA or closure.
The Superintendency of the Environment (SMA) of Chile filed charges against the company Vidrios Lirquén SA, owner of the “Vidrios Lirquén Plant” project, located in the commune of Penco, Bío Bío region, for non-compliance with the Atmospheric Decontamination Plan (PPDA) that applies to this area of the country.
This sanctioning procedure has as its origin five citizen complaints related, mainly, to the emission of particulate matter (PM) from the plant's chimney during the Critical Episode Management (GEC) period that governs according to the PPDA in force for the communes of the Great Conception.
Against the above, in March and June 2023, environmental inspections were carried out at the plant and information examinations were carried out.
Additionally, through a request for information from the owner, it was found that the plant maintained emissions above the maximum permitted limit - whose mandatory compliance began to apply, for this type of sources, on December 17, 2022 - and that there would have been operated a Float kiln during an environmental pre-emergence episode.
Following this background, the Superintendency filed three charges against the company. The first violation is based on the fact that the plant exceeded the maximum PM emission limit with respect to the establishment's Float oven-type source, in the isokinetic sampling dated March 23 and June 20, 2023. This violation was classified as serious.
Regarding the second violation, this is based on the fact that the plant does not have a continuous emissions monitoring system (CEMS) validated for the parameter PM and sulfur dioxide (SO2) for the Float furnace. Infraction that was classified as minor.
And regarding the third infraction, this is supported because the company did not paralyze the operation of the Float oven, during the critical pre-emergency episode of June 15, 2023. Infraction that was classified as serious.
In this regard, Juan Pablo Granzow, head of the SMA Regional Office in the Bío Bío region, explained that “this sanctioning procedure has as its origin citizen complaints that provided us with relevant information regarding the emission of smoke from the chimney of the plant. Vidrios Lirquén in the period in which the decontamination plan for the communes of Concepción Metropolitano governs.”
Furthermore, he added that "this led us to verify, both in field inspections, as well as in the analysis of information, that the company was not complying with this environmental management instrument."
For her part, the Superintendent of the Environment, Marie Claude Plumer, pointed out that “it is important to remind the owners that environmental compliance is an imperative, it is part of the rules of the game.”
“The Decontamination Plans have a very important objective, which is to reduce pollution levels in the air and comply with operational measures in pre-emergency episodes, and thus, protect people's health. For this reason, it is essential that the owners (companies) respect what is established regarding emissions control for fixed sources,” he said.
In the case of minor infractions, holders risk a written warning or fine of up to 1,000 UTA. And with respect to serious infractions, the owners are exposed to fines of up to 5,000 UTA, along with the revocation of the RCA or closure.
In this case, the company Vidrios Lirquén SA risks a financial fine of up to 11,000 UTA, equivalent to more than US$ 9.5 million.
After notification of this formulation of charges, the company has a period of 10 business days to present a Compliance Program and 15 business days to formulate its Releases, both periods counting from the notification.
For more details about the National Environmental Control Information System (Snifa), the SMA called you to visit the following link on the sanctioning procedures.
