Seremi del Medio Ambiente, together with the Environmental Assessment Service and the Environmental Superintendency of the region, presented their main achievements for the year 2023 and the challenges for the current year.
The Participatory Public Account of the Regional Ministerial Secretariat of the Environment of O’Higgins, management 2023, was carried out in the AIEP Rancagua Auditorium, which was carried out jointly with the Superintendence of the Environment and the O’Environmental Service. Higgins, who shared the main initiatives implemented during 2023 and the challenges that are planned to be achieved this year.
Regarding the milestones that marked the management of the Seremi del Medio Ambiente in 2023, the beginning of the implementation of the new Atmospheric Decontamination Plan for MP10 and MP2.5 is included.
In line with actions to improve air quality in the saturated area of the Central Valley of O’Higgins, in July 2023 a call for applications for the Heater Replacement Program was launched for the Pellet heating line, consequently, 574 families in the saturated area of the O’Higgins region received this benefit.
Regarding Environmental Education and Citizen Participation, the financing by the Ministry of the Environment, through the Environmental Protection Fund (FPA), of 5 citizen projects that will work on topics related to water and energy efficiency, circular economy and management stands out. of waste, and Climate Change and environmental decontamination, for a total amount of 30 million pesos to be implemented in the communes of: Mostazal, Rancagua, Coltauco and Rengo.
Likewise, the FPA will also finance a Project within the framework of the Wetlands Contest: “Let’s take care of our Río Claro wetland”, to be executed by the NGO Tejiendo Ecologías, for a total amount of 60 million pesos.
Environment and municipalities
Regarding the Municipal Environmental Certification System Program, during the year 2023, the O’Higgins region has 17 certified municipalities.
Regarding the Environmental Certification of Educational Establishments, SNCAE, 79 educational establishments were certified in the region, these are gardens and schools that revalidate their certification or obtain it for the first time, resulting in a total of 149 certified establishments in the levels: Basic (24), Medium (37) and Excellence (88).
Work for climate change and the circular economy
There were important milestones in terms of aquatic ecosystems such as the opening of the preparation process of the Preliminary Draft Secondary Water Quality Standard in Cuenca Rapel, the opening of declaration processes for urban wetlands in Las Cabras, Pichilemu and Navidad.
Regarding the Circular Economy, the Seremi del Medio Ambiente highlighted the implementation of recycling campaigns in coordination with municipalities and private companies. Campaign to recycle out-of-use tires in the communes of Machalí, Coinco, Graneros and Codegua, which managed to recycle nearly 100 tons of this waste. Likewise, paper and cardboard recycling campaigns were implemented in the communes of Lolol, Pumanque and Peralillo, in addition to a recycling campaign for bulky waste such as stoves, refrigerators, kitchens, etc., in the commune of La Estrella.
Supervision and environment
Within the framework of the Public Account, Karina Olivares, regional head of the Superintendence of the Environment, announced the number of complaints received, the inspection processes completed, sanctioning procedures and the compliance programs to which the companies that have They have an environmental qualification resolution in the O’Higgins region during the year 2023.
The Environmental Assessment Service (SEA), in charge of the O’Higgins region by its director Pedro Pablo Miranda, shared the achievements of its 2023 management, emphasizing that the great pillars of the institution are linked to technical management of excellence, implementation progressive of the Escazú Agreement in the SEIA and the Incorporation of the climate change variable in the environmental impact evaluation, also adding that, in the region, projects in the Energy category lead the entry figures to the SEIA, followed by sanitation and real estate sector.
