New law fines people who pollute beaches, rivers and parks up to 200,000 pesos
On Monday December 10, the Official Gazette published the law that will punish and fine those who pollute beaches, rivers, parks, reserves and national monuments.
Cigarette butts, plastic and even food scraps are some of the unpleasant surprises that vacationers find. They damage Chile’s river, lake and beach environments, but that could change as of today.
On Monday, December 10, the Official Gazette published the law – backed by the National Assets Ministry – modifying the Penal Code to allow for fines of 1 to 4 UTM (Monthly Tax Units) for those who pollute, litter or leave trash, materials or waste of any kind on beaches, riverbanks or lake shores, at national parks, national reserves, natural monuments or in other officially protected biodiversity conservation areas .
“This tool enables us to protect the places where many Chileans spend their vacations and punish those who do not protect them. We all want a clean environment in which to enjoy our free time,” emphasized National Assets Minister Felipe Ward.
The new law seeks to discourage visitors from polluting beaches, rivers, lakes and national parks. “The idea is to sanction a bad habit that impacts and harms the community at large. The law aims to educate the public about caring for the environment,” emphasized the Minister.
This law protecting sea coasts, riverbanks and lake shores is in addition to the National Assets Ministry’s “Que no te falte playa” (don’t miss out on the beach) campaign launched throughout Chile last week, which encourages citizens to learn about their right to free access to Chile’s beaches.
Chile’s uniformed police force, Carabineros de Chile, is responsible for enforcing the change to the Penal Code. Officers are authorized to check identification and issue fines. Meanwhile, the Court of Guarantees is responsible for applying the fines in response to charges brought by the public prosecutor.
This bill was set into motion in 2012 by a group of Senators, primarily supported by current Mining Minister, Baldo Prokurica.