Chile Shuts Down State Copper Smelter Codelco After Decades of Bay Pollution

SANTIAGO, Chile: After years of polluting Quintero Bay with toxic gases and being one of 16 companies that contributed to the area's destruction, Chile's state-owned Copper mining company, Codelco, has finally shut down its Ventanas Copper smelter. Environmentalists referred to the region as a "sacrifice zone." On Wednesday, the closure took place. Primary focus is on mineral resource exploration, development, and exploitation, and the subsequent production of refined Copper and by-products for sale. Operate through eight divisions: Ministro Hales, Andina, El Teniente, Radomiro Tomic and the Ventanas smelter and refinery.

With a production rate of 1,827,267 tonnes of fine copper in 2016, including our stakes in El Abra and Anglo-American Sur, Codelco maintains its position as the worldwide leader in copper production. This is equivalent to 9% of the world's Copper output and 33% of Chile's. Additionally, the second-largest Molybdenum producer globally, with an output of 30,641 tonnes of fine Molybdenum in 2016.

In the past, the Chilean government had declared the three municipalities surrounding Quintero Bay, situated 160 kilometers northwest of the capital, Santiago, (Quintero, Puchuncavi, and Concon), as densely filled with fine particulate matter that can lead to respiratory discomfort and ailments. A formal ceremony on Wednesday in Puchuncavi was held where images showing the furnace flames gradually dying down until they were entirely extinguished, symbolizing the shutdown of the Copper smelter, which had been running for 59 years. Nonetheless, a Codelco refinery will still operate from the same location.

Just a week ago, there was another incident of mass poisoning in the area, with almost 100 students being affected by the poor air quality. An environmental alert remains in place. Inhabitants of the bay, who number over 50,000, continuously inhale Sulfur Dioxide, a toxic and corrosive gas that irritates their nose, eyes, and throat when they breathe it in.

In the previous year, President Gabriel Boric had declared that over 60% of all Sulfur Dioxide emissions in the region were due to the state-owned smelter when he announced its closure. While the closure of Ventanas is a significant stride in the right direction, Greenpeace Chile's director, Matias Asun, commented that there still needs to be a plan for the industrial belt generated around the smelter.

Established in 1954, the state-owned National Petroleum Company has the oldest company in the region, owning an oil terminal. Afterward, the Codelco smelter and refinery were established, followed by the construction of several steam and coal-fired power plants a decade later. During a recent visit to the region, David Boyd, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Environment, mentioned that he smelled and felt the toxic fumes in his throat. Notably, since 2019, pollution incidents in the area have started to decrease due to the regulation of emissions from the industrial belt.