Ministry of Environment proposes changes on hydrocarbon sector activities’ regime of water-discharges to the sea
Colombia’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development just published the draft of a new Resolution by which it modifies Resolution 0883 of 2018 (“Resolution 0833”), which in turn established the parameters and permissible limit values for water-discharges in the sea.
These limit values and parameters were first defined and assigned (by Resolution 0883) based on the economic activities involved in the water-discharges generation.
The proposed adjustment, brought up by the Resolution draft, relies on the Sulphates parameter.
As established by the Ministry in the Draft’s Justifying Memoir, within the monitoring activities carried out to oversee the implementation of Resolution 0883, there was identified, among other findings, the existence of “difficulties for applying the «Sulphates» parameter within the hydrocarbon sector’s productive activities”. This, since it was verified that the level of sulphates’ natural concentrations in the sea was “much higher than the norm’s reference values” initially set forth in Resolution 0883 (which was set up to 500mg/l).
Therefore, embracing other technical agencies’ recommendations (like INVEMAR’s) the new-regulation draft suggests “requiring this parameter’ analysis and report”, without subduing it to a permissible limit value, as well as “the tracking of the discharges-recipient water-system’s environmental conditions”.
The Ministry’s aim with this amendment is to have a better comprehension and surveillance of this parameter’s behavior on its impact on the sea, and thus “be able to undertake appropriate actions, by the pertinent environmental authorities, in case non-desirable conditions take place”.
The Ministry will receive comments on the Draft from the general public up until next Friday, April 22nd. Comments must be submitted through its incorporation in a pre-established supplied template, and be sent to the following email: pmgonzalezr@minambiente.gov.co.
To obtain further information and advice regarding this topic, do not hesitate to contact Posse Herrera Ruiz.
Álvaro José Rodríguez
alvaro.rodriguez@phrlegal.com
Mariana Sánchez
mariana.sanchez@phrlegal.com
