View source for Valdivia Pulp Mill

The '''Valdivia Pulp Mill''' or '''Planta Valdivia''' is a [[pulp mill]] and [[biomass]]-fueled [[power station|electrical generating station]] in [[San José de la Mariquina]], [[Los Ríos Region]], [[Chile]]. Although the main activity is [[wood pulp]] production, it also generates 61 [[Megawatt|MW]] of [[electricity]] from the burning of volatiles and [[black liquor]].<ref name=hidroch>{{in lang|es}} [http://www.cne.cl/archivos_bajar/capacidad_instalada_de_generacion.xls Electricity generation capacity of Chile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040617094056/http://www.cne.cl/archivos_bajar/capacidad_instalada_de_generacion.xls |date=2004-06-17 }} by [http://www.cne.cl Comisión Nacional de Energía]</ref> The plant was built in 2004 and is owned by [[Celulosa Arauco y Constitución]] also called CELCO.

==Río Cruces contamination controversy==
In 2004 and 2005 thousands of [[black-necked swan]]s in the [[Carlos Anwandter Nature Sanctuary]] in Chile died or migrated away following major contamination by a newly opened CELCO pulp mill located near the city of [[San José de la Mariquina|Mariquina]] and [[Cruces River]] which feeds the wetlands. By August 2005, the birds in the sanctuary had been "wiped out"; only four birds could be observed from a population formerly estimated at 5,000 birds. Autopsies on dead swans attributed the deaths to high levels of iron and other metals polluting the water.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.patagoniatimes.cl/content/view/114/26/ |title=The Patagonia Times - Patagonia News - CELCO TRASHES CHILE RIVER YET AGAIN, SHUTS DOWN PLANT<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2007-06-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071021025259/http://www.patagoniatimes.cl/content/view/114/26/ |archive-date=2007-10-21 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The company had been dumping [[Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds|dioxin]]s and [[Heavy metal (chemistry)|heavy metal]]s into the river illegally from a wastetube that had not been approved by the authorities. The plant was closed in 2005 after the company's lawyers reportedly produced a misleading environmental study regarding pollution on the Cruces River. The scandal prompted Celco's chief executive to resign in June 2005 and the company to pledge to adopt cleaner technologies. The plant reopened two months later at limited production capacity.<ref>Forbes List of Billionaires 2006</ref> Even in 2006 the Latin American water tribunal recommended to close down the mill.<ref>[http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=32515 Water Polluters "On Trial", IPC, Mar, 15,2006] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610224248/http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=32515 |date=2011-06-10 }} acceced: Sep, 13 2010.</ref> <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sociedadcivil.cl/nuevodiario/sitio/informaciones/noticia.asp?Id=7887 |title=Noticia SC |access-date=2007-09-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927132601/http://www.sociedadcivil.cl/nuevodiario/sitio/informaciones/noticia.asp?Id=7887 |archive-date=2007-09-27 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.elmostrador.cl/modulos/noticias/constructor/noticia_new.asp?id_noticia=183876 |title=..:: El Mostrador :: |access-date=2007-09-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930020918/http://www.elmostrador.cl/modulos/noticias/constructor/noticia_new.asp?id_noticia=183876 |archive-date=2007-09-30 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 

In July 2007 CELCO agreed to pay $614 million [[Chilean peso]]s to [[Valdivia, Chile|Valdivia]]n tourism companies to avoid legal actions for supposed losses of the tourism sector of Valdivia due to contamination of Carlos Anwandter Nature Sanctuary. In a document signed the tourism company's CELCO was exempted from all responsibility involving the contamination of Cruces River. CELCO also promised to pay $2 million monthly each of the coming three years to promote tourism.<ref>[http://www.economiaynegocios.cl/noticias/noticias.asp?id=28011 Economía y Negocios Online<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>  Also, a local resident group was formed named Accion por los Cisnes ("Action for the Swans"). This kept up a constant complaint to the government officials about the issue and looked for environmental reparation. 

In 2014 the state of defense council filed against CELCO in a lawsuit. The Civil Court of Valdivia ordered CELCO a series of measures to repair and mitigate the damage to the wetland. The first was to conduct a biological and chemical study about the actual situation. They were also to create an artificial wetland upon the river from where the dumping was made. Then there was to be five years of environmental impact monitoring, and the creation of a wetland research with community engagement.<ref name="court order">{{cite web|last1=Green|first1=Franzisca|title=Court orders logging company to clean up pollution disaster in Chile wetlands|url=https://news.mongabay.com/2014/01/court-orders-logging-company-to-clean-up-pollution-disaster-in-chile-wetlands/|publisher=Mongabay|access-date=4 August 2016|date=17 January 2014}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Chile|Energy}}
* [http://www.iaia.org/pdf/case-studies/PulpMillProject.pdf Case study] on the [[Environmental Impact Assessment|EIA]] of the pulp mill

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{{Energy in Chile}}

[[Category:Biofuel power stations in Chile]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Los Ríos Region]]
[[Category:Energy infrastructure in Los Ríos Region]]
[[Category:Pulp and paper mills]]
[[Category:Environment of Chile]]
[[Category:Celulosa Arauco y Constitución]]