Courts Order suspension of Ralco construction
September 9, 1999
In an unprecedented verdict, the Sixth Santiago Civil Claims Court Wednesday ordered an indefinite halt to the construction of the controversial Ralco hydroelectric dam project in southern Region VIII as a precautionary measure until a request for the invalidation of an environmental impact study can be resolved.
The Ralco project, which envisages the flooding of some 3,400 hectares of land bordering the upper Bio Bio river, is being developed by national energy giant Endesa, majority-owned by electricity- sector holding firm Enersis. But the project has run into stiff opposition from environmentalists and Pehuenche indigenous landowners who refuse to accept relocation packages offered by the energy firm. Two such opponents of the project are the Pehuenche sisters Nicolasa and Berta Quintreman, who in 1997 brought the legal action against Endesa and the National Environmental Commission, Conama, over the environmental viability of the Ralco project which resulted in Wednesday's ruling.
Sources close to Endesa have indicated the company's aim was to have completed as much work as possible on the project before the courts intervened so that, were the Pehuenches to continue their legal battle, the energy firm could argue that not only would the project benefit the whole country's energy needs, but it would also be irrational to halt the already well-advanced works.
The ruling looks set to be appealed by Endesa.
Chile Information Project
Source: El Mercurio, La Tercera
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