MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Pulp mills dispute: Greenpeace blocks vessel in Chile

Environmentalist group Greenpeace blocked Thursday a cargo vessel that was leaving the Chilean port of Talcahuano for Uruguay loaded with equipment for one of the controversial pulp mills to be built in the shore of a shared Argentine-Uruguayan river.

Twelve activists from Greenpeace in two Zodiacs crisscrossed in front of the Bahamas flagged vessel preventing it from advancing, reported the spokesperson for the group Monica Infante.

The purpose of this demonstration which lasted four hours and a half was to "call upon the Argentine government to prevent the vessel from sailing in Argentine waters once its crosses the Magellan Strait", said Infante.

Two of the activists also painted the side of the vessel two huge posters saying, "NO to Botnia (the Finnish company which owns the main pulp mill) and NO to cellulose pollution in the region".

The blockade ended when a port patrol vessel approached the Zodiacs, but the vessel was still in the port's bay.

Uruguay's decision to go ahead with the building of two pulp mills on its side of the river Uruguay which acts as a natural border with Argentina has strained bilateral relations.

The vessel has on board some of the metal structures for the mill which is to be built next to Fray Bentos, just across from the Argentine city of Gualeguaychú.

"We're blocking the elements that will be used to cause a major environmental damage as has happened in Chile with Celco (a controversial cellulose plant). Pulp mills contaminate and Celco has polluted Valdivia", said Greenpeace chapter Chile.

Protestors from Gualeguaychú and the Argentine province of Entre Ríos are also blocking two international bridges across the river Uruguay, which impeded among other things the land transportation of the metal structures for Botnia.

"This is not an only country problem, but of all the region and that is why we are demanding a clean production plan for the industry; a non chlorine bleaching process", added Samuel Leiva from Greenpeace Chile.

Leiva believes Mercosur countries "are doing nothing to prevent pulp mills from multiplying in the region, and thus multiplying the pollution they produce".

The bleaching process for cellulose uses chlorine dioxide which is a highly contaminating product.

Greenpeace is demanding that "Chile as well as Argentina and Uruguay, adopt a Clean Production Plan for the Paper and Cellulose industry with the highest existing technological standards".

Argentina has asked Uruguay to freeze the mills construction for 90 days while a committee of experts works out an environmental impact report. Uruguay has replied that it can't force private companies to stop working and had asked Argentina to put an end to the bridge blockades which have a negative impact on bilateral trade and tourism.