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Argentine Beer Factory Facilities Closed for Environmental Violations

Thursday November 1st, 2007. Buenos Aires

Quilmes, Argentina?s most renown beer maker, became today the 63rd company closed down since a crackdown began on contaminating industries, for violating environmental norms in Argentina. ?Total and preventive closure? was ordered by the Federal Environmental Authority (SAYDS) of one of Quilmes? storage facilities. The site closed is no longer in use for beer production, but has a long list of code violations related to product storage, including, abandoned oil, unlabeled stored substances, improper condition of tanks, as well failure to possess proper factory closure permits necessary for clearing the company?s facilities of environmental risks.
The closure will be maintained until the company corrects the outstanding irregularities and violations, on the grounds that present conditions place local communities of the Matanza Riachuelo River Basin at risk.
A second company, Tai Pan Malting, situated on the same block as Quilmes, was also handed down a closure notice, and must present a workplan to the environmental authority within 10 days in order to resume operations, as well as build a proper and safe storage facility which was found not to comply with codes.
The closures are part of an ongoing crackdown begun this year in one of Latin America?s most contaminated river basins, known as the Matanza Riachuelo. Some 3000 companies, and over 7 million people live on or near the Riachuelo, most without proper sanitation services, poor or no water access and exposed to severe health risks.
The federal Environmental and Sustainable Development Secretariat (the SAYDS) has been given the task of cleaning up the river basin, a process that will take well over 15 years if it is successful and will include numerous public works on the basin covering waste cleanup, sanitation infrastructure investments, water channeling systems, health services for local populations, among others.
A first step in this monumental task is cracking down on contaminating industries, a process which involved creating what is essentially a new Control and Compliance Task Force with 120 newly trained inspectors.
Since inaugurating his team this year, Raul Vidable, director of the Control and Compliance Task Force, has handed down 602 citations, inspected more than 1000 companies and facilities, sentenced 270 preventive measures and now has closed the 63rd company. Others that have suffered similar measure include: Shell, Firestone Bridgestone, Petrobras, Danone, and 59 others.
The SAYDS is advancing by sectors, and has already intervened tanneries, petrochemicals, meat and lactose, metal-works, and now the beer industry. The SAYDS presses companies to enter into technological overhauls aided by free technical advisory assistance as well as federal low interest financing plans. The SAYDS is also working on setting industry standards and fixing strict BAT controls for contaminating industries.

For More Information

jdtaillant@cedha.org.ar