Concerned about the situation of vulnerability in the community of Chacras de la Merced, we participated in the public hearing with a legal technical report that gives an account of the irregularities of the project to install a new quarry.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”

On Wednesday, April 12, the Secretary of Environment and Climate Change convened a public hearing to discuss the installation project “Cantera Colombo” in the vicinity of the neighborhood Chacra de la Merced. The Cantera Colombo project would be located to the east of the city of Cordova, outside the urban ejido of the city, in the place known as Heart of Maria, being the population center affected by the work the locality of Chacra de la Merced. This is an open pit dry quarry, where the extraction of aggregates without the use of explosives would be carried out, and then transferred the material to the classification plant owned by the owner named Canteras Ruiz, located at Camino Chacra de La Merced, Km.

Among the main considerations that we made in the Report on the environmental impact study “Cantera Colombo” it should be mentioned that it did not take into account the special situation of vulnerability in which the community of Chacra de la Merced is located due to the accumulated impact that affects Progressive and negative in the right to health, life and a healthy environment. Among the main causes that explain the transformation of what was the “Green Belt of the city of Cordoba” we find: the installation of real estate ventures, quarrying, installation and omission in the controls on tanneries, malfunctions and The supersaturation of the sewage treatment plant (EDAR Bajo Grande), lagoons generated by the old quarries. Also within the irregularities that emerged from the analysis of the environmental impact study we find that:

-The integrality of the project will have significant and mostly negative and irreversible impacts on the environment, especially on the quality of water, soil, air, health and quality of life.

– Does not comply with the minimum content detailed in art. 19 of the law 10,208 (baseline in health taking into account that it will be located 300 meters from a school and 150 meters from the river Suquía, public services affected as public transport).

-Takes outdated baselines (affected population, census 2008).

“He does not cite reliable sources.”

– Does not detail the measures of recomposition and mitigation of the impacts.

Therefore, from FUNDEPS we recommend an in-depth evaluation by the Ministry of Environment as the controlling body of this project, taking into account the considerations made, and having the necessary mechanisms in order to comply with the expected legal and environmental parameters In order to protect the fundamental rights of the residents of Chacra de la Merced.

More information

Report of FUNDEPS by installation Cantera Colombo

Video situation Chacras de la Merced

Authors

María Pérez Alsina, Virginia Corradi y Male Martínez Espeche.

Contact

Male Martínez Espeche / Environment Team Coordinator

malemartinez@fundeps.org

As part of Environment Forum Cordoba, FUNDEPS participated with other institutions recognized technical, in preparing a proposal on updating of native forests in the province of Cordoba, which seeks to overcome the weak arguments proposal Cartez (Confederation of Rural Associations Third Zone).

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”

As the National Law No. 26,331 of Minimum Standards for Environmental Protection of Native Forests and its Regulatory Decree No. 91/2009, each province should make its Native Forest Planning and updated every five years through a participatory process and according to environmental sustainability criteria set out in its articles and annex.

The province of Cordoba sanctioned the Provincial Land Use Law of Native Forests No. 9814 on August 5, 2010, in a process in which the participatory body that guaranteed the national law was not respected. The maturity of these regulations occurred on 5 August 2015. Our province faces a duty to update its regulations, seize the moment to meet the minimum standards established by national law; and ensure wide participation of different social actors in this new process of building the land management of native forests.

This process is strictly in updating the vector map approved by Law 9814, which recognize that the amount of remaining native forests in the province, establishing different conservation categories (Category I (red), Category II (yellow) and Category III (green)). This categorization will be done depending on the environmental value of the different units of native forest and environmental services they provide, such as avoiding floods, desertification of soils, elevation of groundwater, drought, effects and impacts of climate change, extinction of native flora and fauna, etc.

The proposal made with Environment Forum Cordoba, Core DiverSus Research on Diversity and Sustainability, the Multidisciplinary Institute of Plant Biology (CONICET-UNC), the IDEA Civil Association, the Institute for Diversity and Animal Ecology (CONICET-UNC) and the Centre Ecology and Renewable Natural Resources (FCEFyN, UNC) is entitled “Why is it necessary to keep the surface of native forests with Category I (Red) in the province of Cordoba as the vector map of the Act 9814? critical analysis of the proposal Land Management of Native Forests for the Northwest Córdoba arc “produce Store preserving and producing” developed by Cartez “. The aim in the document is to refute environmental, legal and social foundations proposal Cartez unreasonably argues that the Category II (yellow) is better than Category I (red) to protect and preserve the native forest, starting this proposal a conceptual interpretation is all wrong and contrary to the objectives and budgets of the National Law 26,331 and the Provincial Law 9814 lights.

From FUNDEPS, we hope that this process involves as many actors in society because of the importance that implies the protection and conservation of native forests. We also hope that the upgrade process guarantees the principle of non-environmental regressivity and respect for the rights of environmental democracy, including access to information and citizen participation enshrined in the Rio Declaration on Environment and development 1992.

More information:

– Working Paper: Why is it necessary to keep the surface of native forests with Category I (Red) in the province of Cordoba as the vector map of the Act 9814?

– La Voz del Interior: “Again the debate on how much can be removed hardens” (10/28/2016)

Response to FAA on OTBN – Cordoba Environmental Forum (November 2016)

Contact:

María Elena Martínez Espeche, Coordinadora del Eje Ambiente.

malemartinez@fundeps.org

On June 9, FUNDEPS together with the organization Las Omas del Barrio Chacras de la Merced met in the Directorate of Networks and Sanitary Works of the Municipality of Córdoba, with the deputy director Daniel Bardagi and the owner of the plant Gualberto Pozo Arce the purpose of asking some questions regarding the operation of the Bajo Grande Sewage Treatment Plant.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic.”

Since February 2016, the environment axis of the Human Rights Area and the Democratic Strengthening Area of ​​FUNDEPS have been working together with the Civil Association for Equality and Justice (ACIJ) in the Chacras de la Merced District of the Province of Córdoba , in particular with the Las Omas women’s organization. The project seeks to promote the development and implementation of strategies linked to the incidence and monitoring of public policies in the Chacra de la Merced community, in order to support the work of the Las Omas women’s organization in the strengthening of social and environmental rights damaged due to the poor functioning of the Bajo Grande sewage treatment plant.

In this framework, FUNDEPS requested a meeting with the Directorate of Networks and Sanitary Works of the Municipality of Córdoba. The meeting was enriching for both parties. From the Directorate of Networks could explain how the plant currently works, the quantity and quality of the liquid that deals with days of week and end of weeks, funds with which the Municipality has to do maintenance works, problems that identify them that can contribute to the malfunction, among others.

On the other hand, we express our concern regarding the harmful effects that the plant is generating in its current situation, the environment in general and the community of La Chacra in particular since their social, economic and environmental rights are constantly being violated.

They also explained that the construction of a new treatment plant will double the amount of fluid treatment and its implications for the city. However, when we asked for information about possible environmental remediation policies in the area with the construction of the new plant, we did not receive a response.

It is important to point out that within the framework of this project, four requests for information were made to different public departments of the Municipality, among which one was made to the Wastewater Treatment Plant, which depends on the direction of Networks, where we made the following orders of information for reporting on: a) the current operating status of the Bajo Grande WWTP plant; b) if there are repair works for the faults and problems in the correct operation of the plant; c) if there are plans for environmental remediation in Barrio Chacras de la Merced; d) What works are being implemented in the sewage treatment plant? ; e) what mitigation measures of the environmental impact were designed and implemented after being declared a sanitary emergency zone; f) what controls are executed in the Plant, detailing the days and hours in which they are implemented and g) what days and times the plant works, detail the processes and their direct effects on the environment and the nearby population, and what methods of treatment use.

From FUNDEPS we will continue working with the organization Las Omas in the monitoring of the bidding process and implementation of the work of the new plant, and visibilizing the problems in terms of environment and health the current sewage treatment plant WWTP.

Contact

Carolina Juaneda – Area of ​​Democratic Strengthening and Institutional Quality

carojuaneda@fundeps.org

Yesterday, FUNDEPS with the Organization Las Omas represented by Alida and Ester Weht presented four requests for information in the Municipality of Córdoba, two requests to the Province of Córdoba and two requests to the company Coniferal de Transporte.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic.”

Since the beginning of this year, the environment axis of the Human Rights Area and the Democratic Strengthening Area of ​​FUNDEPS have been working together with the Civil Association for Equality and Justice (ACIJ) in the Chacras de la Merced District of the Province of Córdoba, in particular with the Las Omas women’s organization. Two workshops were carried out by these organizations in order to identify socio-political problems that affect the community of La Chacra and based on what was identified, an advocacy action proposal was defined to work in the year. Likewise, access to information tools and strategies for monitoring public policies were worked on.

The work seeks to promote the development and implementation of strategies linked to the monitoring and advocacy of public policies in the Chacra de la Merced community, in order to support the work of the Las Omas women’s organization in the strengthening of social and environmental rights violated product of the malfunction of the Bajo Grande sewage treatment plant.

In this context, on Monday, May 30, representatives of the OMAs and members of FUNDEPS presented four requests for public information in different departments of the Municipality of Córdoba (Ministry of Health, Undersecretary of the Environment, Undersecretary of Transportation and the Liquids Treatment Station) Residuals) of the Province of Córdoba (Ministry of Investment and Financing and Secretariat of Environment) and in the company Coniferal SACIF. The purpose of these orders is to have official information on the status and operation of the sewage treatment plant and the environmental and health situation of the area affected by the contamination.

The requests for information submitted are made within the framework of the right to request and receive information, Art. 16 et seq. of Law 25,675, Art. 41 of the National Constitution, Art. 13.1 of the American Convention on Human Rights, Art. XXIV of the American Declaration of Rights and Duties of Man, instruments incorporated into the National Constitution, through its articles 75 inc . 22, Art. 19 inc. 10. Likewise, the Environmental Policy Act of Cordoba prescribes in article 61 that:

All requests for information required under the terms of this Law must be satisfied within a period not exceeding ten (10) business days. The term may be extended exceptionally for another ten (10) business days in the event of circumstances that make it difficult to obtain the information requested, and the requested body must communicate – before the expiration of the ten (10) day period – the reasons for the which makes use of the exceptional extension …

And finally, in accordance with the regulation of Law No. 8803 Right to Access to Knowledge of State Acts, which also provides a period of ten (10) working days to answer the information requested.

We hope to obtain a response to the requested information within the framework of the explicit deadlines, and thus continue fighting in pursuit of demanding and protecting the economic, social, cultural and environmental rights that are being violated, due to the malfunctioning of the liquid treatment plant. Cloacal of Bajo Grande.

Contact

Carolina Juaneda – Area of ​​Democratic Strengthening and Institutional Quality

carojuaneda@fundeps.org

Fundeps prepares a working document that deals with the problem of MSW (Urban Solid Waste) in our city. The objective is to contribute and influence public policies at the local level that guarantee the right to health and a healthy and balanced environment adopted by international standards.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic.”

The problem of urban solid waste (MSW) begins with the development of the modern society in which they live, and has its origin in causes of another nature: from rapid population growth, the use of material goods of rapid deterioration or without degradability , even more complex causes that are due to an inefficient integral waste management accompanied by strong political and economic interests.

According to the statistical data provided by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, each inhabitant generates one kilo of garbage per day, which is deposited in one of the 130 end-of-end properties, in the worst case, in the hundreds of garbage dumps. open sky that were formed in the country. The city of Córdoba generates approximately 1200 tons per day of urban and similar solid waste that, until 2010, were deposited in the south of the city, in the Bouwer property, located on Route 36 and currently, temporarily, son disposed in the Sanitary Landfill of Piedras Blancas. This dynamic generates multiple situations of environmental degradation and violation of the right to a healthy environment and the right to health, among others.

This global and local problem has been addressed and regulated in different international and national instruments in order to minimize the harmful effects and adapt laws with sustainable public policies and according to the specific realities of each country / province.

From FUNDEPS we are working on this important issue and we have prepared as a first working document the following report “First Approaches: Current legal framework and real problem of solid urban resources in Córdoba”, which expects an approach to the problem.

We want to move forward starting from the study of the environmental institutionality in the matter of MSW (Urban Solid Waste), the funds that are destined to the GIRSU (budget item), the current situation of the bidding of the service, the environmental liabilities pending remediation (property ) Potrero del Estado, Bouwer), the real and legal situation of the foundations, the open sky and the adaptation of the practices and the management of RSU in Córdoba with the adopted international and national standards.

The purpose of this work proposal is to contribute and influence public policies at the local level that guarantee the right to health and a healthy and balanced environment adopted by international standards.

Contact:

Malena Martinez – Human Rights Area

malemartinez@fundeps.org

The frame of activities for the Conference of Parties in the framework convention on the Lima Climate Change Conference, will discuss how international funding and socio environmental safeguards in infrastructure projects in Latin America have an impact on the Amazon jungle.

This event has been jointly organised by FUNDAR, Centre of Analysis and Investigation (Mexico), Foundation for the Development of Sustainable Policies- FUNDEPS (Argentina) Association for Environment and Society AAS (Colombia) and the Right of the Environment and Natural Resources- DAR (Peru) all constituting as the regional group for Funding and Infrastructure.
The discussion forms part of the Conference of Parties in the framework convention on climate change in Lima. The speakers will tackle the actual state of funding for infrastructure in Latin America from traditional banks like the World Bank Group/ International Finance Corporation and the new bank from the BRIC Countries. A comparative analysis of four projects with external funding has been carried out in Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia and Peru, evaluating the impacts on the Amazon forest and the instruments (safeguards) for the management of social and environmental risks.

It will especially be about the negative example of Brazil and the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES, its acronym in Portuguese). The BNDES, who also funds projects outside of Brazil, has been accused of its lack of transparency, of described social and environmental norms, which have been clearly defined, and the mechanisms guaranteeing the fulfillment of national laws.
It is feared that the recent creation of the BRICS nations bank will neither put enough emphasis on the norms that protect the environment and society in the process of its application. This reality is affecting the policies of traditional banks, such as the World Bank Group or the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). Those countries seeking to attract more investment will also react to the changes in the available international funding. Large infrastructure projects that ignore the environmental concerns, such are the cases of CVIS (Peru), Mocoa Pasto (Colombia), Coca Codo Sinclair (Ecuador) and the TIPNIS (Bolivia), are proof of it.

A panel of experts on climate change, megaprojects and governance (transparency, participation, risk management) will debate the key ideas and any advance of the previously mentioned analysis. The session will also give the public the possibility to participate in the debate.

Key questions:

1.How can banks apply safeguards on project funding in Latin America to prevent social conflicts and environmental disasters?
2.What is the role of the new national and regional banks in the funding of regional infrastructure?
3.How the weakening of standards in funding the region affects the countries system? How can these react in front of new challenges?

More information:

Details on the logistics of the event
Panorama on the funding for infrastructure in Latin America
Guideline for the discussion. Implementation of a Freedom of Information Policy for The Brazilian Development Bank
Paradigmatic cases of BNDES investment in South America. Need and opportunity to improve internal policies

Contact:

Gonzalo Roza / Coordinator of Global Governance
gon.roza@fundeps.org

Translated by: Gisela Quevedo

In addition to participating in the discussions and demonstrations that took place regarding the process of reviewing the World Bank’s environmental and social safeguards, FUNDEPS met with staff from the IDB and MICI; and it was part of a discussion panel where a publication about the current funding landscape for infrastructure in Latin America, prepared by the Regional Group on Finance and Infrastructure, was presented.

During the course of this last week, FUNDEPS was involved in the 2014 Annual Meetings of the World Bank and IMF in Washington DC (USA).

En el transcurso de la semana pasada, FUNDEPS estuvo participando de las Reuniones Anuales 2014 del Banco Mundial y el FMI en la ciudad de Washington D.C. (Estados Unidos). Si bien la agenda predominante durante estas Reuniones Anuales fue el proceso de revisión y actualización de las Salvaguardias ambientales y sociales del Banco Mundial, la visita a Washington sirvió también para trabajar en una serie de agendas adicionales en las que FUNDEPS está involucrado, tales como el proceso de revisión del MICI del BID; la presentación de una publicación sobre Financiamiento para Infraestructura en América Latina, realizada con el Grupo Regional sobre Financiamiento e Infraestructura; e incluso tener una serie de reuniones estratégicas y de planificación con diversas organizaciones de la región y del mundo.

Sin dudas, la agenda prioritaria actualmente respecto al Banco Mundial es el futuro de las salvaguardias de la Institución, cuyo proceso de revisión tiende a un preocupante debilitamiento y dilución de los estándares ambientales y sociales a cumplir cuando el Banco financia un proyecto en uno de sus países miembros (Ver Comunicado “El Banco Mundial busca debilitar los estándares socio-ambientales en sus proyectos. Respuestas de Organizaciones de la Sociedad Civil”). El borrador del nuevo régimen de salvaguardias recientemente publicado por el Banco confirma en gran medida esa tendencia y fue fuertemente criticado y rechazado por gran parte de la sociedad civil alrededor del mundo. Justamente, a principios de Octubre fue enviada al Banco una Declaración con la suscripción de más de 130 organizaciones alrededor del mundo, rechazando el borrador y destacando cuáles son los principales retrocesos que plantea. (Ver Declaración enviada al Banco).

A tal punto llegó la inconformidad de la sociedad civil respecto al proceso de revisión de las salvaguardias, que en el transcurso de la consulta pública planificada por el Banco para el pasado sábado 11 de octubre, la mayoría de los participantes, tras cuestionar tanto las reformas que plantea el Banco como el proceso de consulta en general, decidieron abandonar la sala (Ver Videos sobre la Consulta) y realizar una movilización fuera del Banco, que contó con una amplia participación de diversos actores descontentos no sólo con el proceso de revisión de las salvaguardias sino también con el modelo de gobernanza y financiamiento que plantea la Institución. (Para ver fotos de la movilización acceder Aquí)

En el transcurso de las Reuniones Anuales se confirmaron, también, los lugares en donde se desarrollarán las próximas consultas regionales para brindar comentarios acerca del proceso de revisión siendo Brasil, Paraguay, Perú y Bolivia los países latinoamericanos donde se estarán desarrollando las consultas presenciales en el transcurso del próximo mes.

En cuanto al proceso de revisión del MICI, FUNDEPS aprovechó su presencia en Washington para mantener reuniones presenciales con Victoria Márquez-Mees, Directora Ejecutiva del MICI; y con Flavia Milano, especialista de Sociedad Civil del BID. Más allá de obtener una actualización acerca del estado de la revisión del Mecanismo, las reuniones sirvieron para trasladar al Banco y al equipo del MICI la gran preocupación existente en relación al retroceso en materia de Accesibilidad, Independencia y Efectividad que representa el Borrador de Política Revisada que el Banco ha sometido a consulta. (Ver comunicado “Preocupa el potencial debilitamiento del MICI en el proceso de revisión que está llevando adelante el BID”)

A su vez, con Flavia Milano pudieron tocarse temas de la relación entre el BID y la Sociedad Civil, tales como la situación de los Grupos Consultivos de la Sociedad Civil (ConSOCs); el estado de implementación de la Política de Acceso a la Información, la misma revisión del MICI e incluso las reformas institucionales que está planificando el Banco, como la reforma de la Corporación Interamericana de Inversiones (CII) con el objetivo de darle mayor relevancia al financiamiento de carácter privado (Ver comunicado “En una reunión en la que se excluyó a la sociedad civil, el BID realiza cambios en su estructura”); e incluso el probable inicio de una revisión de las salvaguardias sociales ambientales del Banco, siguiendo los pasos del Banco Mundial.

Finalmente, cabe destacar que en el marco del Policy Forum de la Sociedad Civil de las Reuniones Anuales del Banco Mundial/FMI, se realizó la presentación del documento “Panorama del Financiamiento para Infraestructura en América Latina”, elaborado por el Grupo Regional sobre Financiamiento e Infraestructura, del cual FUNDEPS forma parte junto con otras tres organizaciones de la región: Derecho, Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (DAR) de Perú; Asociación Ambiente y Sociedad (AAS) de Colombia; y Fundar, Centro de Análisis e Investigación, de México.

Más información

– Panorama del financiamiento para infraestructura en América Latina

Contacto:

Gonzalo Roza

Coordinador del Programa de Gobernabilidad Global

gon.roza@fundeps.org