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dam-l LS: Government Intends to Approve Ralco Soon



CHIP NEWS

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Date: January 20, 2000

Subject: Government Intends to Approve Ralco Soon

Source: El Mercurio, El Diario

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GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO APPROVE RALCO SOON.  

Economy Minister Jorge Leiva reiterated Wednesday his intention to 

approve Endesa's Ralco hydroelectric project before the end of this month.  

"I hope to authorize it before I go on vacation in February," he said. 

This would mean advancing the deadline for approval, which was originally 

set for the end of the Eduardo Frei administration (March 11). Following 

Leiva's decision, project authorization only requires an official decree from 

the Comptroller General.  No mention was made of pending legal moves 

from environmentalists and indigenous people who oppose the project and 

have so far managed to postpone the building of the dam. The 570 MW-project 

in the upper Bio Bio valley will cost some US$540 million.  According to Endesa 

some US$130 million has already been invested in preliminary construction, and 

the dam is now due to be operational by January 2003, compared to a previous target of April 2002. -- 

*Chip News*

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Monti Aguirre

Latin American Campaigns 

International Rivers Network					

1847 Berkeley Way					

Berkeley, CA. 94703 USA

Phone:	 510 . 848.11.55 and 707 . 591 .91.49

Fax:	 510 . 848.10.08

e-mail:  monti @irn.org

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