With the objective of making transparent the actions carried out and the responses provided to the different entities and organizations that request public statements from the company, Hidronor Chile S.A. declares to have received last Thursday, November 24, 2022 a letter from the Mayor's Office of the Illustrious Municipality of Pudahuel where the General Manager, Jorge Stagno, was asked to issue a public statement regarding the potential transfer of contaminated material from Paño Las Salinas (Viña del Mar commune, Valparaíso region), to the Hidronor plant located in the Pudahuel commune, RM de Santiago.

This, reason for the various notifications, complaints and calls from socio-environmental organizations, environmental leaders and councilors of the commune, who expressed great concern regarding the socio-environmental risk of the communities in the area of direct influence.

In response to the request, on Friday, December 9, Jorge Stagno, General Manager of Hidronor Chile S.A., responded:

Dear mayor:

We have received your communication dated November 24, within the framework of the "various notifications, complaints and calls from socio-environmental organizations, environmental leaders and councilors of our commune, who have expressed great concern regarding the socio-environmental risk of the communities in the area of direct influence (...)” in the framework of a “potential transfer of contaminated material from the Las Salinas cloth (Viña del Mar commune, Valparaíso Region) to the “Hidronor” plant in the Pudahuel commune, Santiago Metropolitan Region. As well, its willingness to "receive hazardous organic waste" and in addition to its possible treatment in its facilities.”

Regarding what was stated in your note, we would like to state the following:

1. That we appreciate your communication and we are aware that an activity related to the treatment and final disposal of industrial waste may be of the greatest concern to communities and organized communal civil society. For this reason, we would like, through you, to provide background information regarding the general operation of our plant, as well as what is related to the issue raised in your communication.

• Hidronor is a company with more than 25 years of experience in the handling and treatment of industrial and hazardous waste, which is duly treated, eliminated, reused and/or revalued depending on the physical and chemical characteristics of the waste.

• That, in this context, the Hidronor company provides permanent services of "advice and internal management of industrial and household waste; the characterization, remediation of contaminated sites, transportation, revaluation, treatment and final disposal of the same” (https://www.hidronor.cl/hidronor-chile/) 

• The Hidronor company is subject to health and environmental regulations that set the operating frameworks and are continuously monitored by the competent authorities. Along with this, the regular operation of our facilities imposes on us the obligation to report periodically to these same authorities.

• In the proposed context, the Hidronor company has within its operation controls that determine the characteristics of the waste that is sent to the plant, in order to establish the appropriate physical-chemical process for its processing, reuse and/or final disposal. For this reason, both the controls regulated in the Environmental Qualification Resolutions and the supervision of specialized public services are ways of guaranteeing a safe and regular operation.

• In the proposed context, the Hidronor company has within its operation controls that determine the characteristics of the waste that is sent to the plant, in order to establish the appropriate physical-chemical process for its processing, reuse and/or final disposal. For this reason, both the controls regulated in the Environmental Qualification Resolutions and the supervision of specialized public services are ways of guaranteeing a safe and regular operation.

Por último, agradecemos la oportunidad de poder poner estos antecedentes en manos de la comunidad y sociedad civil comunal organizada, dado que, la entrega oportuna y completa de información en procesos de alta sensibilidad socioambiental es fundamental para una relación armoniosa entre la autoridad municipal, comunidades e industrias emplazadas en la comuna de Pudahuel.

You can review the formally sent letter here.

In this way, Hidronor Chile demonstrates its commitment to caring for the country's environment and maintains its open-door policy for any type of similar request that may be required.