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Original article: Organizaciones de Tocopilla y Mejillones alertan que descarbonización avanza sin cumplir la normativa ambiental vigente y sin participación ciudadana

Tocopilla and Mejillones Groups Warn of Accelerating Decarbonization Amidst Environmental Regulation Gaps and Lack of Citizen Involvement

The decarbonization timeline in Chile has once again spotlighted Tocopilla and Mejillones, two municipalities historically affected by coal-fired power plants, as they seek to take a leading role in discussions regarding a just energy transition, environmental rehabilitation, and public health.

In this context, the NGO Chile Sustentable and the Coalition Chao Carbón, along with local organizations Tocopilla Digna and Despierta Mejillones, will host open community workshops throughout May to discuss the current status of energy transition and the ongoing challenges facing northern communities.

The organizing groups assert that while Chile has made strides in shutting down coal power plants, significant concerns remain regarding the environmental liabilities accumulated over decades of industrial operation in both towns, coupled with non-compliance with environmental obligations related to the decommissioning of coal units.

They noted that Mejillones housed 9 coal plants, three of which belong to ENGIE: the Mejillones Thermal Complex (CTM) 1, CTM 2, and Energy Infrastructure Mejillones (IEM), which ceased operations in December 2025.

However, they warned that the CTM 1 and CTM 2 units were shut down without meeting fully the obligations outlined in their Environmental Qualification Resolutions (RCA), particularly concerning closure, environmental monitoring, and impact mitigation.

Additionally, the IEM facility is currently undergoing conversion to natural gas. The organizations emphasize that such processes cannot be considered a definitive solution while cumulative impacts on the area persist, without clear environmental restitution measures or health monitoring for communities long exposed to polluting emissions.

In Tocopilla, the 6 existing coal power plants have ceased operations. Nonetheless, the groups criticized that neither ENGIE nor AES Andes have submitted closure plans to the Environmental Impact Assessment System or carried out comprehensive remediation, infrastructure dismantling, or recovery of intervened sites.

Furthermore, they reported that AES Andes’ Norgener 1 and 2 units failed to comply with the closure obligations stated in their respective RCA.

The groups maintain that this situation reflects one of the major gaps within the current decarbonization process in Chile: the shutdown of plants without a binding environmental and health repair strategy for the towns that endured decades of thermoelectric generation.

This is compounded by concerns regarding the weakening of institutional mechanisms meant to support a fair socio-ecological transition. Although Mejillones and Tocopilla have a Socio-Ecological Transition Plan, the groups reminded that the Kast government withdrew Supreme Decree No. 14 from the Comptroller’s Office, an instrument that established governance for this strategy and provided formal support for local participation tables, effectively eliminating spaces for dialogue and territorial follow-up.

Moreover, they criticized the repeal of Supreme Decree No. 8, which updated emission standards for Thermal Power Plants (CTEC), warning that this represents a setback in air quality, environmental standards, and public health protections in areas historically impacted by industrial pollution.

The organizations also stressed that the decarbonization process cannot be limited to merely shutting down coal units; it must include concrete measures for environmental recovery, epidemiological monitoring, and strict adherence to existing regulations to prevent communities from continuing to bear the legacy of historical pollution.

“Various studies and public assessments have warned about the ongoing exposure of the populations in Tocopilla and Mejillones to atmospheric pollutants, particularly particulate matter and industrial emissions linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, as well as other impacts on the quality of life of the communities,” stated the organizations, inviting the community to participate in the following activities:

Mejillones
Community Workshop: Is There a Just Socio-Ecological Transition in Mejillones?
Wednesday, May 13 — 18:00 hours
Pescadores Fiscal Dock, Fishermen and Divers’ Union Goñi #011

Tocopilla
Community Workshop: Energy Transition in Tocopilla, Where Are We Today?
Friday, May 15 — 17:00 hours
Domingo Latrille High School, Ignacio Carrera Pinto 1305

The Citizen

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