A new milestone in the environmental processing of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Las Salinas occurred this week with the receipt of 122 observations from the public; the EIA explains the remediation activities that will be carried out in order to complete the last phase of remediation of the 16-hectare site in Viña del Mar. In this context, the company’s Development Manager, Esteban Undurraga, explained “we have confidence in a project that is moving forward and that has been carried out with the highest safety standards for people”. The design of this remediation project is the result of a process that so far has taken more than 23 months of work, with the active participation of various specialists from the main universities in the region (PUCV and UTFSM), in addition to the environmental team of Las Salinas and consulting firms specializing in the field, who have explained that the proposed methodology has been widely used in different parts of the world and even in our own country, demonstrating high levels of effectiveness (see attached infographic). “The soil and groundwater bioremediation technique allows to achieve soil remediation, so that the remaining concentrations -mainly hydrocarbons- do not represent any risk to people’s health. In this regard, it is necessary to clarify that the EIA is associated with land remediation and not with urban development or other industrial activities,” explains Camilo Quiroga, head of Las Salinas’ environmental area. Regarding the comments from the public, the company’s manager indicated that “the contributions that the community can make to further improve this project are very valuable, so that everyone can be sure that this land will be definitively remediated in a safe manner, in order to restore it to the urban fabric of Viña del Mar, which is a long-awaited goal for everyone”. In this sense, a hallmark that has characterized Las Salinas is the generation of spaces for dialogue with the community on urban and environmental issues and transparency of information, through activities open to the public: In relation to the most urgent concerns raised by the communities, it is necessary to clarify: Finally, in addition to the space provided by the environmental institution for the entry of citizen observations, we invite all those who have questions or simply want to be informed, to come to our offices (Av. Jorge Montt 2300, Viña del Mar), or via our website, or on our social networks (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram).
