ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY NEWS FROM CHILE

May 2006

- Chile in Carbon Expo

From May 10 to 12, a Chilean public-private delegation participated in the Carbon Expo, which took place in Cologne, Germany.  The delegation was composed of representatives from Chilean companies, environmental organizations, governmental agencies and educational institutions, among which included the Chilean Environmental Organization AEPA (Asociación de Empresas y Profesionales para el Medio Ambiente); Agrosuper; Alberto Matthei and Sons, Ltd.; Chadwick Cia.; Chilean National Corporation for Copper ( CODELCO); Girsa S.A.; KDM S.A.; Society Rio Longaví; Velasquez Group; Infocarbon; Poch Ambiental; National Commission for the Environment (CONAMA); CORFO, and the University of Chile.

Chile had a stand to promote not only clean development mechanism projects (CDM) but also environmental services associated with generating and developing those projects.  The public-private delegation also presented 75 projects that were developed within the framework of the CDM, whose aim is to reduce greenhouse gases.  These were presented at this leading fair, which offers considerable opportunities to generate future business opportunities related to the environment.

Chile’s position in CDM in the world is privileged: it is the third greatest presenter of CDM projects in the world, following India and Brazil.  It is also the second ranked nation for investing in the mechanism.  The number of projects has grown exponentially, especially in hydroelectric (28%), methane capture (24%), biomass (18%), and forestation (11%), among others.

www.carbonexpo.com/

April 2006

- Renewable energy

The Sustainable Chile Program congratulated the Bachelet Administration for doubling its support for initiatives that use clean and renewable energy sources.

Sara Larraín, Director of the Sustainable Chile Program, joined Energy Minister Karin Poniachik and Carlos Alvarze, Vice President of CORFO, at a press conference to celebrate the government’s decision to award U.S. $2 million to the undertaking and to open a credit line with CORFO for investment in environmental projects.

Sara Larraín stated that, “at the global level, since 2004, the investment in renewable energies has been between 20 and 24% of the total global investment in energy, an intelligent decision to reduce its emissions and achieve security and stability before the increasing price of fuels.”  For more information, please visit www.chilesustentable.net. 

- Hydroelectric Center

The companies of Endesa Chile and Colbún confirmed that they will develop hydroelectric plant in the Aysén region, about 1000 miles south of Santiago, with an investment of approximately U.S. $4 billion.

Endesa Chile, owned by Endesa España, announced that the company’s board of directors authorized the decision on April 27 by signing a memorandum of understanding with the Chilean company Colbún to develop the “Aysén Project.”

- Workshop for Judges about the Environment and Sustainable Development

The “Workshop for Judges about the Environment and Sustainable Development” took place in Santiago from April 26-28.  It is part of the activities listed in the first priority area of the 2005-2006 Work Program, written within the framework of the Chile-U.S. Environmental Cooperation Agreement.

This area is dedicated to capacity building and exchange of information on strategies and experiences in order to improve the effectiveness of enforcement and application of environmental laws, norms, and regulations. To access the English version of the program, please visit the U.S. Department of State’s website: U.S.-Chile Joint Commission for Environmental Cooperation, Environmental Cooperation Agreement, 2005-2006 Work Program-

- Environmental Crime

The Bachelet Administration is considering to send a draft to amend the Penal Code to Congress in the next few months, continuing new norms intended to strengthen sanctions for damages caused to the environment.

The proposal includes, for the first time, mention of serious environmental damage in matters related to the air, soil, water contamination, and ecosystems in general.  It considers economic sanctions, as well as prison terms ranging from five to fifteen years in prison in cases resulting in death related to environmental harm.

Environmentalists hail this as a great step forward.  For more information, please visit www.radio.uchile.cl/interno.asp?id=29259.

- Gas in the Strait of Magellan

President Michelle Bachelet confirmed on April 18 that natural gas exists in the Strait of Magellan.  Along with the Minister of Mining, Karen Poniachi, she announced that, “There is natural gas; the second phase is to see if it is possible to commercialize it.”  The President noted that as a result, this could successfully provide gas for the entire Region of Magellan at least until 2020, and possibly to the rest of the nation, as well.

The National Petroleum Company (ENAP) indicated that extraction of natural gas from deposits near Lake Mercedes, in the Strait of Magellan, could begin by mid-2009.  For more information, please visit:

 www.radio.uchile.cl/interno.asp?id=29156.

- Forestry Workshop

A workshop entitled “Sharing Experiences with Voluntary Environmental Management in the Forest Sector” was held in the Chilean city of Concepción from April 5-7. 

This workshop took place within the framework of the Environmental Cooperation Agreement of the Free Trade Agreement signed between Chile and the United States.

It was organized by Chilean and U.S. institutions, including the National Commission for the Environment (CONAMA), the Timber Corporation (CORMA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Environmental Law Institute of the United States. Experts from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Forest Service, American Forest & Paper Association, and the Environmental Law Institute participated in the workshop.

In the first part, the workshop exhibited programs and projects that are being developed in the forestry sector by companies and agencies in the public sector in both Chile and the United States. It examined voluntary tools for sustainable forest management, with presentations by representatives of CONAMA, U.S. EPA, U.S. Forest Service, American Forest & Paper Association, the Clean Production Council, and the Chilean forest companies Forestal Arauco, Forestal Mininco, CMPC Celulosa, and Aserraderos Arauco.

In the second part, participants visited various installations that process wood, a pulp and paper mill, a tree nursery, areas of biodiversity conservation, and native forests. 

As a follow-up, plans are now under way for a visit of Chilean forestry officials to the United States to learn more about sustainable forest and forest products management, as well as the implementation of public-private partnerships to improve environmental performance. 

For more information, please visit www.conama.cl/portal/1255/article-34722.html.

- New Leader at the National Commission for the Environment (CONAMA)

Ana Uriarte will be the new Executive Director of the National Commission on the Environment.  A lawyer, she formerly worked in the Environment Unit at the National Defense Council.   Ms. Uriarte also teaches Environmental Law at the University of Chile.

Her appointment has been well-received in ecologist circles because of her teaching background, as well as her experience as a lawyer dedicated to environmental matters at the National Defense Council, where she took a strong stand against violators of environmental regulations.  For more information, please visit www.conama.cl.

- Proposal to Elevate CONAMA to Ministerial Status

President Michelle Bachelet announced from the Lago Peñuelas National Reserve, located in the Fifth Region, that she hopes to sign into law a bill that will give the head of CONAMA the rank of minister, asking that legislators support the proposal before them now.  It will fulfill ONE of the 36 proposals that the government has put forth as its program for the first one hundred days in La Moneda.  For more information, please visit www.conama.cl/portal/R55/article-34673.html.

- New Leader at the National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICYT)

Vivian Heyl was appointed President of the National Commission of Scientific and Technological Research (CONICYT) for the next four year.

Heyl is a commercial engineer with a focus in economics and holds a master’s degree in sociology with a concentration in planning and development policies from Catholic University in Chile.  She also has a Master and a Ph.D. in Administration, Planning, and Social Policies from Harvard University.  To read more, please visit

http://www.conicyt.cl/comunicados/2006/comu-marzo/Vivian_Heyl_Chiappini_Nueva_presidenta_de_Conicyt.html.

- Ecotourism Projects

The Chief of Operations of the National Forest Corporation (CONAF), Luis Martínez, and the Head of Planning for the National Tourism Service (SERNATUR), Humberto Rivas, announced that proposals for ecotourism projects within the framework of the program “Ecotourism in Protected Forest Areas: the Most Natural Investment” will be accepted until June 6, 2006.

The submission process started in August 2005, when project ideas were presented for 48 designated state-protected areas, which include national parks, national reserves, and natural monuments.

One of the areas that has received more project proposals is the Radal 7 Tazas National Reserve, in the 7th Region of Maule, followed by the Pan de Azúcar National Park, in the 2nd Region of Atacama.  For more information, please visit www.radio.uchile.cl/interno.asp?id=28774, www.conaf.cl, and www.sernatur.cl.

- Judicial Capacity-Building Workshop on Environmental Affairs

On April 26 to 28,   a Judicial Capacity-Building Workshop will be held in Santiago at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile.

This workshop also takes place within the framework of the Work Program 2005-2006 of the Chile-U.S. Environmental Cooperation Agreement between Chile and the United States, in the area of capacity-building and exchange of information on strategies and experiences in order to improve the effectiveness of enforcement and compliance with environmental laws, norms, and regulations.

Judges from different Chilean regions will participate, including magistrates from the metropolitan area of Santiago, as well as the regions I, II, III, X and XI.

During the workshop they will examine global environmental challenges; Chilean, U.S., and international environmental laws; legal tools for environmental protection; as well as some case studies.

- Quality of Life in Santiago, Chile

Santiago placed 81 on a list ranking the quality of life in 350 of the world’s cities, according to a survey released by the Swiss consulting firm Mercer.

The study showed that the Chilean capital ranks third in Latin America, behind Montevideo (76) and Buenos Aires (78).  It considered many factors, including political, social, economic, environmental, personal security services, health, education, transportation, and public services, among others.  For more information, please visit www.radio.uchile.cl/interno.asp?id=29002.

- Air Quality in Santiago

On April 3, Superintendent of the Metropolitan Region Victor Barrueto formed a new working group to determine new environmental measures to be implemented in order to counter problems with air quality in the capital.  Along with this, he introduced a report from the international auditor commissioned by the National Commission on the Environment (CONAMA) to evaluate the usefulness of the plan of Prevention and Decontamination of the Atmosphere, whose results will allow new steps to be taken and propose better goals.

The working group will be made up of representatives of transportation services, health services, the Metropolitan Region division of CONAMA, non-governmental organizations, and experts from various universities.  For more information, please visit www.radio.uchile.cl/interno.asp?id=28684 and www.conama.cl.

March 2006

- The Patagonia Volunteer Expeditions Project

From March 19 to April 1, a group of volunteers from the U.S. and Chile traveled to the Torres del Paine National Park, located in the southern region of Chile, during the last two weeks of March.  This is the second expedition of volunteers, after the first in 2005. 

The volunteers participated in training courses and activities related to park management, tourist services, trail maintenance and relocation, and the effects of forest fires on the park. 

This project is part of the Work Program 2005-2006 of the Chile-U.S. Environmental Cooperation Agreement between Chile and the United States, in the area of promoting sustainable development and management of environmental resources, including wild fauna and flora, and protected wild areas.

The U.S. Forest Service, the Chilean National Forestry Corporation (CONAF), the Patagonia Foundation and Fundación Patagonia-Puerto Natales are coordinating the activities for this project.

Volunteers’ visit to Torres del Paine National Park

- Chile: Competitive Nation in Technology

On March 28, the World Economic Forum (FEM) released a report that ranks Chile as the 29th most competitive nation with regard to information and communication technology, ahead of countries like Spain and Italy.  The United States headed the list.

According to the authors of the study, “Chile is the leader of the region in its advances because of taking advantage of new technologies to increase the efficiency of its economy and improve the standards of living of its population.”  It is the highest ranked nation in Latin America, followed by Brazil.  For more information, please visit www.radio.uchile.cl/interno.asp?id=28572.

- Astrobiology Science Conference

The Fourth Astrobiology Science Conference—AbSciCon 2006—took place in Washington, DC, from March 26 to 30.

Some 700 astrobiologists participated in this conference, where close to 500 studies were presented.  During the scientific expositions, references were made to the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), which is being constructed in Chile and will consist of fifty antennas, each of twelve meters.  This observatory on the forefront of technology will begin its first investigative research in 2010 and commence full operation in 2012.  For more information on ALMA, please visit www.alma.nrao.edu.

Another highlighted area of research was that related to the studies about life forms in extreme environments on Earth and their application to a better understanding of the universe.  The Atacama Desert in Chile is one of the places where various investigations are being carried out because of its similarity to the terrain of Mars.  For more information on this and the specific presentations at the conference, please visit http://abscicon2006.arc.nasa.gov/abscicon2006.html. 

- Brown Dwarf

Using a telescope from the European Southern Observatory in Chile, an international team of researchers discovered a brown dwarf that belongs to the 24th star system closest to the Sun.  Brown dwarves are intermediate objects that are neither stars nor planets.

This object is the third closest brown dwarf to Earth discovered up to now, and one of the coldest.  It orbits around a very small star at a distance of 4.5 times greater than that between Earth and the Sun.  Its weight is estimated to be between nine and 65 times greater than Jupiter’s.  For more information, please visit www.astroseti.org/vernew.php?codigo=2055.

- Preparatory Meeting for the Fifth Space Conference of the Americas

An additional value of FIDAE 2006 is that it also hosts important high-level conferences, which take place during the fair and includes the participation of well-known speakers and authorities.

One of the conferences that was held at FIDAE 2006 on March 28 and 29 was the International Space Conference: Satellites and Distance-Learning, which took place within the framework of the preparatory meeting of the Fifth Space Conference of the Americas.  The conference examined the regional space cooperation plan, which will provide important relationships, partnerships and business opportunities in the area of satellite applications.

William Brennan, Assistant Secretary for International Affairs for NOAA and head of the U.S. delegation, spoke about the Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS).  Fernando Echavarría from the Office of Space and Advanced Technology at the Department of State also gave a presentation on the Central America Monitoring and Visualization System (SERVIR) and other NASA projects of interest for Latin America.

- Climate Change Affects Glacial Melting in the South of Chile

Foreign and Chilean scientists at the University of Talca found during their investigations that temperatures increased and precipitation decreased in the 20th century, and that they continue to do so.  In the study of these phenomena, the melting of polar caps and large sheets of ice are very important factors as the most reliable indicators of climate change.

Glaciers are masses of ice that are sustained by water that freezes into ice and transforming into liquid or gas form via the process of evaporation and sublimation.  These exercise a strong influence on the planet’s climate, controlling the changes in pressure, and contributing to the regulation of sea level.  For more information, please visit www.utalca.cl and http://eias.utalca.cl.

- Ozone Layer

On March 23, Law n° 20,096, concerning the ozone layer, was published in the Official Gazette.  This law establishes control mechanisms for substances that damage and cause thinning of the ozone layer.  It provides a new powerful legal tool that will allow Chile to adequately fulfill the international commitments agreed to in the framework of the Montreal Protocol, working to reduce the consumption of substances that damage the ozone layer and to inform the public of its effects and of ultraviolet radiation in general.  For more information, please visit www.conama.cl/portal/1255/printer-34586.html.

- Microsoft in Chile

The American company Microsoft announced on March 21 the beginning of five projects aimed at increasing the development of certain fields in Chile for the Bicentennial in 2010.

The Bicentennial Plan for Chile will be an investment of $6 million, which will be used to incorporate information technologies in education, small and mid-sized businesses, the government, and public and private services.  For more information, please visit www.radio.uchile.cl/interno.asp?id=28449.

- Biofuels

On March 3, the National Petroleum Company (ENAP) and Empresas IANSA, S.A., signed a Memorandum of Agreement to begin the development of practical studies to undertake a project to produce biofuels.

Biofuels are produced from agricultural or forest materials, generating, among others, ethanol, which is a component used in ENAP’s refining process, thus lessening the dependence on imported fossil fuels.

Both companies will share the tasks of analysis and evaluation to confirm the practicality of the aforementioned project.  To carry out the evaluations, they will use all of the information that both have available or can obtain.  For more information, please visit www.enap.cl/opensite_det_20060303184403.asp.

- Natural Gas in Lake Mercedes

The National Petroleum Company (ENAP) discovered natural gas is the far south of Chile in the Magallanes Region.  This discovery was part of the 2006 exploratory project for which ENAP budgeted $300 million; its objective was to find natural gas in Lake Mercedes, located 150 km south of Porvenir, in Tierra del Fuego.  The primary explorations undertaken resulted in the prediction that three reserves exist some four thousand meters deep; more refined information on this survey will be available in mid-April.  For more information, please visit www.radio.uchile.cl/interno.asp?id=27937 and www.enap.cl.

- Cloning for Endangered Deer

Scholars in the School of Medicine at the University of Chile began three years ago a project without precedent, to successfully clone the pudú deer, which are in danger of extinction.

The project is made possible through the exchange and support of French and Chilean specialists and is financed by a partnership among the Committee for the Evaluation-Orientation of the Scientific Cooperation of France (ECOS), the National Commission for Scientific and Technological Investigation of Chile (CONICYT), and the School of Medicine at the University of Chile.

The scientific procedure involves taking cells from the ears of the deer by means of a biopsy, which are treated in a medium of a specific culture in order to later extract the nucleus and proceed with the cloning.  For more information, please visit www.radio.uchile.cl/noticias.asp?id=27597.

- Pascua Lama Mining Project

The Regional Corporation for the Environment (COREMA) of the Third Region unanimously approved the Pascua Lama Mining project of the company Barrick Gold, although its resolution expressly prohibits the intervention of the zone’s glaciers.

According to experts, Barrick Gold should implement a subterranean mine, since that is the only alternative to comply with the restrictions against moving the glaciers.

The mining company could invest US $1.5 billion in the mountains of the Third Region, to mine reserves of 500 million tons of silver and 300 million tons of gold.  For more information, please visit www.radio.uchile.cl/notas.asp?id-27619. 

- Wetlands

Chilean environmental authorities celebrated the formation of the new National Committee on Wetlands this past February 2, the International Day of the Wetlands.  One of the committee’s tasks will be the development of a Plan of Action to implement the National Strategy for Wetlands.

The wetlands are extensions of salt marshes, peat bogs, and marshes, or surfaces covered with water, be they natural or artificial; permanent or temporary; stationary or moving; fresh, briny, or salt water, including the extensions of seawater whose depth at low tide does not exceed 20 ft.  The wetlands play a role in the world’s most important ecosystems insofar as they house great biological diversity, vast primary productivity, on which innumerable species of vegetation and animals are dependent, and the development of the population.

The Executive Director of the National Commission for the Environment (CONAMA), Paulina Saball, affirmed that “the protection of our wetlands is a task that Chile has defined as a priority, for the importance that these ecosystems have at a national level as well as at the international.”  For more information, please visit www.conama.cl and www.conaf.cl.

- Insertion of Researchers in Industry

The National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICYT), in the framework of the Bicentennial Program of Science and Technology, invites companies to register for the “Insertion of Researchers in Industry.”

From February 6 until April 13, 2006, registration for this program is open to Chilean companies, foreign companies accredited in the country, and national technological entities with ties to those companies that wish to carry out activities of investigation and technological development.

The goal is to increase the competitiveness of the Chilean production sector starting with the stimulation and improvement of the technological capacity of the sector through the incorporation of highly qualified personnel.  For more information, please visit www.pbct.cl.

- Partnership to Boost Latin American Water Research

Chile and UNESCO (the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) have signed an agreement to support scientific research on water resources in dry parts of Latin America and the Caribbean.  Under the agreement, signed on February 2, UNESCO will work with the Centre for Arid and Semi-Arid Zones of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAZALAC), based in La Serena, Chile. For more information, please visit:

www.cazalac.org and  www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2656&language=1.

- Archaeological Sites

On January 31, 2006, at Third Court of Letters in Antofagasta, the National Defense Council (CDE) and the Chilean National Corporation for Copper (CODELCO), Division CODELCO North, signed an agreement through which ended the lawsuit filed by the CDE for the damages suffered as a consequence of the environmental injuries caused at archaeological sites of great cultural importance for Chile, located in the upper valley of the Loa River, in Taira, by a company contracted by CODELCO.

The agreement established that CODELCO must make reparations, which will be used to fund a project of conservation and diffusion for the Chinchorro Mummies.  The task of restoration and conservation will be carried out by the Department of Anthropology at the University of Tarapaca over the next three years.  For more information, please visit www.cde.cl.

- Portals of Mobility

On January 24, 2006, the National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICYT) opened its “Chilean Portal of Mobility for Researchers,” which is linked to the European Union Researcher’s Mobility Portal.

This portal provides relevant resources for researchers and students that plan to study in Chile or abroad.  It gives access to information on Chile and to a data base of openings, CVs, and EU organizations.  For more information, please visit www.conicyt.cl/movilidad.

- Interstellar Cavern

On January 4, 2006, the Gemini Observatory published an image of a storm of billowing clouds blown by the winds from massive stars and set aglow by their light.

Known as the N44 superbubble complex, this cloudy tempest is dominated by a vast bubble about 325 by 250 light-years across.

The images used to produce the color composite were obtained with the Gemini Multi-object Spectrograph (GMOS) at the Gemini South Telescope on Cerro Pachón in Chile.

Gemini is an astronomical observatory of international cooperation with participation of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil.  For more information, please visit www.conicyt.cl and www.gemini.edu.

- National Environmental Policies

On December 28, 2005, the Executive Board of Ministers of the National Commission on the Environment (CONAMA)—the commission’s highest governing body—approved the “National Policy for Protected Areas,” “Policy for the Protection of Endangered Species,” and the “National Strategy for the Conservation and Proper Use of the Wetlands.”

Said national policies, which were presented previously for public consultation, are intended to strengthen the protection mechanisms for species and ecosystems in Chile, and follow the recommendations put forth by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), according to Paulina Saball, Executive Director of CONAMA. www.conama.cl

- Environmental Education

The “Third Seminar on Education for Sustainable Development” has been planned within the framework of the “National System of Environmental Certification of Educational Establishments” (SNCAE).

SNCAE was formed in accordance with an agreement signed by the Ministry of Education, CONAMA, the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF), UNESCO, the Chilean Association of Municipalities, and the Council of Sustainable Development, who have jointly taken on the challenge of encouraging a cultural change to respect and promote sustainable development. www.conama.cl

- Kyoto Protocol

Chile is a participating member of the Kyoto Protocol’s Joint Implementation Supervisory Committee for two years.  Said committee was formed during the United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Montreal in December 2005, and will have its first meeting in Bonn, Germany, on February 1 to 3, 3006. www.cne.cl

- Operating Committee on Biodiversity for the Metropolitan Region (Santiago)

On Thursday, January 4, 2006, the Regional Commission for the Metropolitan Environment (COREMA), took notice of the constitution of the Metropolitan Operating Committee on Biodiversity, whose main function is to implement and carry out a continuation of all the actions contained in the Regional Plan of Action for implementing the Biodiversity Strategy in the Metropolitan Region.

The Regional Strategy for Biodiversity established 23 priority sites for the conservation of biodiversity, seven of which already have Plans of Action. www.conaf.cl

- Torres del Paine National Park

In 2005, more than 100,000 people visited Torres del Paine, a natural reserve of 242,000 hectares located in the province of the “Last Hope.”  For 2006, the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF), adopted special measures to prevent accidents and forest fires.  The number of park rangers will be increased from 21 to 61, and the fire brigade will add members to form a team of 20.  www.conaf.cl

 - Cancer Research

Cancer research has placed Chile on the map for immunology investigations worldwide, according to Dr. Flavio Salazar, Director of the FONDEF-CONICYT Project, spearheaded by the University of Chile.  The goal of the project is to have immunotherapeutic biological products reach the Chilean and Latin American populations in order to treat cancer patients, and is undertaken in collaboration between the University of Chile’s Hospital Clinic and associated private clinics.  (www.conicyt.cl)

- Business Technology Consortia for Research

CONICYT, INNOVA CHILE, and FIA have opened a registration period for the creation of business consortia for research, which is open to businesses, universities, research institutions, and management organizations for the national economy.

The objective of the consortia is to strengthen the ties between the Chilean scientific community and the users of scientific advances, as well as the ties between local and global investigation communities.  The deadline to receive consortia proposals is March 31, 2006.  (www.conicyt.cl)

- Antarctica

Chilean researchers from the Valdivia Center of Scientific Studies (CECS), British researchers, and officials from the Chilean Army completed an expedition that demarcated the dimensions of a subglacial lake located more than 9824.5 feet (3000 meters) below the surface. This lake, which is probably millions of years old, had been identified in aerial surveillance twenty years ago.

Mr. Claudio Bunster, Director of CECS, noted that this is the first successful land survey of the area.  (www.radio.uchile.cl)

- Environmental Act (Law N°19.300)

A bill to amend the Environmental Act has entered the first part of the legislative process and is open to amendments until March 6, 2006.  This bill establishes legal protections to assure the independence of officials on Regional Councils for the Environment (COREMA).  (www.senado.cl)

- Ozone Layer

The Chilean Senate unanimously approved a bill that commits Chile to revising and placing restrictions on all chemical substances that are harmful for the ozone layer, including those used in agriculture.  This initiative is the result of collaboration between the Ministries of Health, Economy, Agriculture, Finance, Foreign Relations and the National Commission on the Environment and the National Customs Service.

It will give authorities the ability to prohibit the import and export of chemical products that affect the ozone layer.  Likewise, it will incorporate into Chilean law the obligation to have a system of monitoring ultraviolet radiation.  (www.senado.cl)

-Renewable Energy

On January 17, 2006, the Diario Oficial (Official Gazette) published the Regulation for methods of non-conventional generation of energy and small methods of established generation, as part of the Electric Services Law.

This regulation establishes incentives to incorporate small power plants for  non-conventional energy.  (www.cne.cl)