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De la Maza said each of the companies was exceeding limits on light emissions, and that charges against other companies were pending.
“We hope to file charges against other firms where we have detected infractions for quite some time,” de la Maza said. “We have been able to accelerate the sanctions needed to act as a deterrent.”
The government is also readying a list of areas that would benefit from special protections to reduce light pollution. Companies operating in those places could be subject to stricter laws and tougher enforcement.
A commission made up of six experts, convened by the Ministry of Science, will deliver at the end of the year a “list of suggested geographical areas and the criteria for their protection,” the ministry confirmed to Reuters.
‘UNIQUE NATURAL LABORATORY’
Cities around the vast Atacama desert have exploded in size in recent years to service Chile’s world-leading copper and lithium sectors. The development has spawned new highways, shopping malls and sports fields – all bringing new sources of light.
Guillermo Blanc, who heads the Skies of Chile foundation, created by the region’s observatories to address the threat, said that the Atacama was a “unique natural laboratory” that needed protection for its scientific value.
The Atacama’s observatories include the Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) facility, which recently contributed to the discovery of possible signs of life on Venus.
