Interview conducted by Aljazeera, about the landfill that is affecting the health of the people of Barranqueños and the environment. The Director of the San Silvestre Green Corporation, the lawyer Leonardo Granados Cárdenas, expresses his concern for the Colombians affected in this sector of the country. In the same way, the lawyer expresses his concern for the environment by letting the landfill receive tons of garbage daily. In the special report of this Qatari media outlet (Aljazeera), the contamination of this landfill in the Patio Bonito sector was evident.
A recent report by the Global Witness group has raised concerns about a landfill in the rural area of Patio Bonito in Colombia and its harmful effects on health and the environment. The landfill, established in 2015, is located near the city of Barrancabermeja, surrounded by the beautiful wetlands of San Silvestre. Despite its ecologically sensitive location, the landfill has wreaked havoc on the local community.
The report condemns the current activity at the landfill, which is now under the operation of the French company Veolia, after being managed by the Colombian company Rediba. Global Witness urges Veolia to take urgent action to address the problems caused by the landfill. The residents of Patio Bonito have reported increased water pollution, contaminated food, and negative effects on local marine ecosystems as a result of the landfill.
160 Tons of garbage per day receives the environmental technology park landfill
The landfill, known as the San Silvestre Environmental Technological Park, receives around 160 tons of waste per day, including waste from Barrancabermeja and nearby oil refineries. The Global Witness report reveals that severe pollution at the site has had devastating consequences for the community, including massive fish deaths and negative health effects on residents.
Local pediatrician Yesid Blanco has investigated possible links between the landfill and illnesses in children in the area. Blanco has documented cases of Job syndrome, a rare skin condition, as well as cases of anencephaly, a severe birth defect where the baby is born without parts of the brain and skull. Veolia has dismissed Blanco’s findings, stating that there is no evidence to support his claims.
Concerns about the safety of the landfill date back to its creation. Despite Colombian law prohibiting the construction of landfills in protected areas, in 2014, the local environmental authority (CAS) allowed a portion of the San Silvestre wetlands to be exempted from environmental protections, following recommendations from the oil company Oxy. This paved the way for the construction of the landfill, despite protests from the community and environmental leaders.
Even before Veolia took over the landfill, poor waste management was reported. In 2016, Colombia’s Ministry of the Environment discovered that Rediba had incorrectly built a pool to contain leachate beyond the designated area in the site’s license. The pool lacked a vital geomembrane to filter out toxic elements, meaning that chemicals and toxins were flowing into the Mocholo stream, a watercourse that flows into the San Silvestre wetlands.
LANDFILL AFFECTS THE RURAL AREA OF PATIO BONITO – COLOMBIA
“All these wetlands are connected to the El Zarzal stream, which is one of the main water sources for San Silvestre, from where it is extracted for human consumption.”
Dr. Leonardo Granados Cárdenas, Director of the San Silvestre Green Corporation.
Granados sees a link between the 2016 ministry report and the health problems in the Patio Bonito community: “Children began to develop gastrointestinal problems and skin rashes.”
A subsequent study found significant levels of heavy metals in sediment samples taken from bodies of water near the landfill, known to cause birth defects and DNA damage. Veolia argues in defense that under their management, all leaks are treated using reverse osmosis technology. They also reinforced and modernized the treatment process to elevate the site to the highest environmental standards, and that when they acquired the landfill, the problems identified by the government were resolved.
The interventions of lawyer Leonardo Granados and other environmental advocates in the region have consequently led to threats to their lives, prompting them to take action to safeguard their security. Nevertheless, they persist in their fight to continue exposing environmental abuses in the region.
The San Silvestre Green Corporation has been developing important environmental and social complaints. For this reason, we invite the community to be part of our actions. If you are aware of actions that deteriorate our environment, you can contact us through our hotlines.
