Unprecedented standard approved to regulate the emission of odors

A decade ago, protests in Freirina over the stench emanating from a slaughtering plant with more than 400 pigs set a precedent in Chile’s environmental conflicts and revealed the lack of a regulation to control this matter. A gap that the authorities now say will begin to be filled after the odor standard was approved in the country, which will set limits on the stench that pig farms can emanate. After four years since the work of the standard began, the measure recently received unanimous approval by the Council of Ministers for sustainability, thus subtracting only its publication in the Official Gazette.When it debuts, the standard will require the implementation of technologies that reduce odors according to the number of animals they have. For example, among the obligations, small farms will be forced to reduce by 70% the emissions of their untreated slurry lagoons (mixture of feces, urine and cleaning water), while in large plants a maximum of odorant impact that they can emit will be set. It is estimated that the initiative will benefit 40,600 people who live in the area of influence of odors of the 83 pig farms that have more than 750 animals are affected by the new standard.” This environmental standard aims to ensure the health of the population and the quality of life of people, “said the Minister of environment, Javier Naranjo.La authority said that for its elaboration we worked with international criteria, mainly using Dutch legislation as a basis, and pointed out that the sanctions could reach the closure of a plant if serious infractions are detected. The Undersecretary (s) of Agriculture, Horacio Bórquez, emphasized that the standard will also encourage the pig industry to adapt to Levels of the European Union, something key for an export sector. It is a step to give balance in three pillars: social, economic and environmental, “said the National Director of ODEPA, María José Irarrázabal.

Original source in Spanish