Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: Geothermal Power Plant on Glacier Rejected

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BUENOS AIRES, Sep 19 2011 (IPS) - At the request of neighboring communities, an Argentine court has ruled against the proposed construction of a geothermal power plant in the western province of Neuquén. The court accepted a motion filed by the Residents Assembly of Caviahue, a town of 2,000 people in the Andes foothills near the Copahue volcano and its thermal springs.

Paula Kubli, a local resident, told Tierramérica that the power plant would have been built next to Las Mellizas Lake, between Copahue and Caviahue. The lake is the only source of drinking water in the area, and "there are no guarantees that it wouldn’t be contaminated," even though geothermal power is considered a renewable energy source that does not generate greenhouse gas emissions, she said.

Under the Glacier Protection Law, a map of all the glaciers in the country and the opinions of local experts are required to determine whether or not a given area is suitable for an undertaking of this kind.