Glacier law: government is considering the request to evaluate specific impacts
Badenier Minister noted that in August the Executive position will be known.
Analysis of the bills for the protection of glaciers would be done by the Ministry of Environment before joining the initiative prepared in this regard, it should be realized during the remainder of this month.
Within the portfolio discussed a topic that has meaning is to embrace the idea that Senator Antonio Horvath raised in a bill promoted in 2006 and which remains in Congress.
The logic in the ministry led by Paul Badenier, would be to prevent any general prohibition on intervention glaciers, because they are very different from each and their water importances also vary case by case.
In this regard, the proposal to create a National Council of Glaciers (or some similar body), that may have a more technical and specific look at specific cases that arise, would meet two objectives: to have no general prohibitions and protect ice masses that warrant.
As has transcended, to Badenier portfolio was important to analyze all projects were presented (there are four in Congress, two of them archived) to define whether they would take their own path or would support, with some changes, any motion.
The possible Council
The idea from Glaciers National Council arose in a group of information which was entered in 2007 to Horvath draft.
Had several functions. Some were monitoring the status of glaciers, especially considering its size, forward, reverse and flow contribution to the watershed; develop strategies for conservation, protection and restoration; propose to the competent authority to consider administrative measures, leading to improved access, monitoring and conservation of glaciers, and monitor compliance with the provisions of the law, reported before the competent authority for violations of its rules, including other things.
One of the issues which appear to be fully resolved, is how would conjugate this within the System of Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA), where currently those impacts are evaluated.
Another issue that is about to be defined is the role that would have the General Directorate of Water in all this, because it is likely to be given more importance.
The Badenier’s vision
In recent weeks, Minister Paul Badenier gone outlining what is his view on this matter.
In late July, at a meeting of the Global Compact, for example, he noted that within the substantive issues to be addressed by the bill’s definition of glacier, along with a classification and objectification of impacts that must be evaluated by a project that enters the SEIA, then quantify and with these arguments, evaluate the productive initiatives.
“We believe that it is possible to reconcile the protection of glaciers with any economic development activities, such as geothermal, tourism and mining. The easiest is to generate an absolute prohibition, “he said at the time.
Source: Diario Financiero
