A Colombian judge suspended the first fracking pilot in the country, which was to be carried out in Puerto Wilches, in the department of Santander (northeast), because there was no prior consultation with the communities in the area, as provided for by current regulations. judicial sources reported this Thursday.
In its decision, the togada assured that “the suspension of the environmental license of the PPII Kalé project, granted by resolution” by “the National Environmental Licensing Authority (ANLA), and the environmental licensing process” of the initiative until “the process of prior consultation with the Afrowilches Corporation is developed in all its stages”.
Last month, the ANLA published resolution 00648 of 2022, which provided details of the Kalé initiative, whose development will be in the hands of the state oil company Ecopetrol.
The area, authorized just at a time of uncertainty in the world oil and gas market due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has up to 4.67 hectares and the fracturing activity will be 1.2 kilometers deep.
For its part, Ecopetrol has previously defended that the project seeks to “evaluate the potential environmental impacts derived from the execution”, and that it has contemplated “measures to prevent, mitigate, correct and compensate possible impacts on ecosystems, biodiversity, water resources, soil and air, among other aspects.”
Before the judge’s decision, the oil company assured today that it respects the communities and acts “within the legal framework.”
Colombia is interested in the controversial ‘fracking’ technique to extract oil
“The company requested in the times established in the environmental and technical regulation the request for prior consultation and the Directorate of the National Prior Consultation Authority (DANCP) certified that the consultation is not appropriate,” the company detailed in a statement.
Ecopetrol specified that during the elaboration of the Environmental Impact Study “no presence or affectation of any ethnic community was identified” and that, “in accordance with the due process advanced, we will go to the corresponding legal instances so that the possibility of continuing with the process is considered.”
Actions against fracking
The Afrowilches Corporation -represented by the Podion Corporation, the José Alvear Restrepo Collective and the Alianza Colombia Libre de Fracking- filed a tutela action (recurso de amparo) which was the one that was ruled in its favor by the First Oral Administrative Judge of the Barrancabermeja Circuit. , Blanca Judith Martinez.
“This is a victory for the Afro-Colombian communities of Puerto Wilches and for the environmental organizations that for years have been resisting the development of a technique that has been scientifically proven to pollute the water and the environment,” said the Alianza Colombia Libre de Fracking in a statement. release.
He added that the judge’s decision “demonstrates once again that the implementation of these projects from the beginning has been carried out in violation of fundamental rights to prior consultation and environmental participation, and without a social license in the territories.”
The social organization assured that this project is taking place “in a context of serious threats and harassment against environmental defenders who oppose fracking” and that is why “we are concerned about the life and integrity of the members of Afrowilches.”
“The National Government removed the protection measures from its legal representative, Pedro Carballido, the same day it issued the Environmental License for the Kale project,” added the Alliance.
what is fracking
The hydraulic fracturing technique has a large number of detractors, who warn about its environmental, hydraulic and social implications. On the contrary, its defenders argue that it represents a solution to respond to the growing demand for energy with cleaner resources than coal.
Fracking makes it possible to extract shale gasa type of hydrocarbon that is found in layers of rock at great depths, for which the earth has to be drilled and then large amounts of water mixed with chemicals are injected at high pressure to fracture the rock and release the gas. (YO)
Source: Eluniverso
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