The Minister of Environment Gabriel Vallejo says that he wants to avoid creating green taxes, but instead install or enforce charges for actions that have an environmental impact.
The El Morro settlement continues to be a hotspot for community-company conflict which has led to trees blocking roads, while the government agrees to look at projects in Casanare and Huila. Gran Tierra (TSX:GTE) also gives details of a electrical energy project designed to lower emissions in Putumayo. These and other stories related to the environment in our periodic summary.
The Minister of Environment (MinAmbiente) Gabriel Vallejo detailed a plan to offer payments to individuals who desist in illegal forestry and mining activities and instead take care of the environment.
Over the last weekend delegates from 21 municipalities in the southeastern section of Tolima met to discuss the impact of seismic exploration and production activities in the area, which the communities say are causing “irreversible environmental” impacts.
Parex has encountered press resistance to its “Rumba” exploration project in Llanos 26, while NGO’s have nearly received their goal of on-line signatures for a petition to support anti-fracking measures, and an armadillo conservation program shows results. These and other environmental stories in our routine summary.
Critics of the decree that promises to expedite the process of environmental licensing continued to push back, while a UN survey finds agriculture water use is leaving a river dry in the Valle de Cauca. These and other stories in our periodic round up of environmental stories.
After the local environmental agency Corporinoquia questioned whether access routes for a Geopark drilling platform in Llanos 62 would affect the water table and local animal species, the company has agreed to halt one of two platforms.
After defending the decree which restructures the process and deadlines to grant licenses against environmentalists and critics in the Senate, the Minister of Environment Gabriel Vallejo met with members of the oil industry to calm company concerns on the process.
Senators and environmentalists continue to scrutinize a change in expedited environmental licenses, making accusations that the decree is a reworking of protected areas and will weaken conservation efforts. MinAmbiente Gabriel Vallejo meanwhile responded in a Senate debate and to the general press.
The National Hydrocarbons Agency is making slow advances towards the Amazon basin, which has the potential to greatly increase the country’s proven reserves, but could also ignite conflicts over environmental issues.