• Código 1608 de 1978. Código Nacional de Recursos Naturales Renovables y de Protección del Medio Ambiente.
• Ley 685 de 2001. Código de Minas
• Ley 99 de 1993. Por la cual se crea el Ministerio del Medio Ambiente
• El Decreto 2014, del 15 de octubre de 2014. Por el cual se reglamentan las licencias ambientales

Si bien, los cierres extractivos se consideran en la legislación colombiana no existe reglamentación particular que se encargue de orientar las acciones para recuperar los aspectos físicos, socioeconómicos, biológicos y ambientales que se deban atender una vez finalizadas las labores de explotación. Por lo tanto, el documento impulsa la necesidad de este lineamiento. Sin embargo, y mientras eso sucede, es importante verificar el cumplimiento de los cierres progresivos y graduales como aspecto disponible para implementar medidas de recuperación de áreas intervenidas por la minería e hidrocarburos, evitar los riesgos de pasivos ambientales y proteger los derechos relacionados a las funciones sociales de los territorios.

De esta forma, el documento: ”Cierre extractivo en Colombia: una aproximación normativa, técnica, política y económica” hace una revisión desde diferentes variables que evidencian la necesidad de un análisis e implementación diferenciada del cierre. Lo anterior, teniendo en cuenta el tipo de extracción y tamaño del proyecto. Por ejemplo, proyectos de gran escala y las áreas múltiples de minas y pozos, con una dependencia socioeconómica territorial mucho más estructural, requieren indicadores y cronogramas específicos, con una planeación paralela a los planes de desarrollo territoriales, conformando una política pública de cierre y reconversión territorial explícita con metas verificables que sea un referente de divulgaciones y transparencia. Sin embargo, este último aspecto es deficiente y conduce a incertidumbres sociales y laborales como las que han empezado a presentarse en las zonas de carbón térmico de gran minería en Cesar y La Guajira.

En ese sentido, se considera relevante insistir en el acceso a la información sobre la implementación de medidas de readecuación y reforestación, cuyas metas de cumplimiento obligatorias deben ser objeto de divulgación en el marco del desarrollo progresivo del estándar EITI. Así como el cumplimiento de las medidas de compensación, y las reservas y manejo de suelos.

Sin embargo, para lograr la transparencia en las divulgaciones sobre información de las obligaciones ambientales, en lo que respecta a cierres extractivos, se debe superar un par de desafíos:

• Mejorar la comprensión social de los alcances del cierre extractivo
• Identificar los mecanismos y herramientas tecnológicas de acceso a la información ambiental que deben facilitar las consultas sobre aspectos de los cierres mineros y de hidrocarburos.

Como conclusión, el documento menciona que Colombia cuenta con unos lineamientos normativos que le permiten identificar mínimos a tener en cuenta para realizar los cierres de proyectos extractivos. Sin embargo, es necesario seguir fortaleciendo este marco para mejorar la planificación e implementación del cierre. Lo anterior, para evitar la aparición de nuevos pasivos ambientales. Con la intención de evitar esta situación, los planes de cierre ambiental deben ser objeto de divulgación y seguimiento desde una participación de la sociedad civil bajo el principio de transparencia.

Para conocer más acerca de esta revisión, les invitamos a consultar y descargar el texto completo.

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Carried out by the Corporación Cívica De Caldas.
Carrera 23 No. 25-6, office 601.
Don Pedro Building.
Manizales, Caldas, Colombia.
Phone: (6) 893 4269.
Management: Maria Úrsula Botero Escobar.
Research coordinator: Antony Grisales Orozco.
Elaboration: Antony Grisales Orozco, Maria Úrsula Botero Escobar, Luis Felipe Garnica
Gonzalez, Anggie Daniela Ramirez Castrillon, Katherine Valencia Buitrago, Juan Miguel
Aristizábal González and Ximena López Ríos.
Acknowledgments to:
Civil Society Roundtable for Transparency in the Extractive Industries.
Corporación Transparencia Por Colombia.

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One of the issues prioritized by this Subcommittee are the risks caused by environmental liabilities The environmental impacts and externalities that arise from the closure or inadequate abandonment of extractive projects, which produce negative environmental impacts and externalities in the territories where they are traditionally developed, for example: abandoned tailings deposits, contaminated soils and watercourses, abandoned or clogged areas. It is important to draw attention to this issue, since there is no legal definition of the concept of environmental liabilities in the country, nor have criteria, procedures or competencies been defined for their declaration.

The study presents a review of the regulatory frameworks in Colombia and countries in the region to learn about the experiences and management of environmental liabilities. For Colombia, the analysis also included the different development plans that have addressed this issue, as well as the analysis of initiatives in previous and current legislatures: P.L. 117-2021C.

In order to understand the reality of the country and to have updated and real information on environmental liabilities, their location and responsible party, the analysis of the request for information made to the 33 Regional Autonomous Corporations, the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the Ministry of Environment and Sectorial Development, the National Mining Agency -ANM- and the National Hydrocarbons Agency -ANH- is presented. These requests asked for quantification or registration information on the areas considered environmental liabilities in their jurisdictions related to liabilities associated with extractive industries: mining and hydrocarbons.

From the study it can be concluded that there is interest on the part of the Government and the Ministries of Mines and Environment to advance in the conceptualization and management of environmental liabilities, although it is necessary to continue progressing in the legislative framework to achieve advances in the recognition of these areas. The country also has diagnostic information that includes the identification, location and prioritization of environmental liabilities. From the Mesa, we consider of great importance that in this process of recognition of environmental liabilities, the right of access to information is strengthened, channels of accountability are promoted, and citizens are involved in the consultation and agreement on this matter.The communities in the areas of influence are affected by the existence of these liabilities generated within the framework of the operations of the extractive industries. In particular, we hope that these issues can be reviewed and incorporated into the public agenda in light of Bill 117-2021C, where key issues in terms of transparency have not yet been identified.

About the Table

The Civil Society Roundtable for Transparency in the Extractive Industries promotes citizen participation and access to information on environmental issues, with a platform of more than twenty social organizations and academic institutions from different regions of the country, which jointly carry out research, advocacy and citizen control activities on transparency in the extractive sector.

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Productive diversification, climate change and governance of the extractive sector: 75 proposals for a transition agenda in Colombia is the title of the publication of Foro Región Central and Foro Nacional por Colombia, supported by Brot für die Welt and Ford Foundation, which presents the result of more than ten years of systematic analysis on the behavior of mining and hydrocarbons in the country. The Agenda raises several important issues for the current debate on the construction of a more just, sustainable and equitable development model in Colombia, with the participation of communities in decisions made about the territory, the economy and environmental protection.

The Agenda presents a diagnosis of the results of public policies promoted by recent governments that have favored the exploitation and export of minerals and hydrocarbons. It also shows the inappropriateness of the extractivist emphasis of our development model, since it has generated a reprimarization of the economy – that is, the economy has been based on primary or extractive sector activities – without generating the expected positive impact on formal employment and has placed the country in a very vulnerable situation in the face of fluctuations in the international prices of raw materials.

It also draws attention to the sector, since, despite the impacts generated by large farms on the territories and their populations – as well as on ecosystems and the sustainability of fauna and flora, rivers and water sources – a large part of the communities and local authorities are excluded from decisions on mining and hydrocarbons. This has become one of the main sources of social conflict in Colombia and is related to the threats and deaths of social leaders seeking to defend their territory from extractive projects.

The Agenda points out a path to advance in the discussion of a development model that is less dependent on minerals and hydrocarbons. There are 75 proposals on productive diversification, energy transition and governance. Each of them identifies the measures that can be adopted by the government, the institutional changes required, the fiscal resources to be made available and the role of public, private and social actors in this process.

In terms of productive diversificationThe country must considerably reduce its high dependence on income generated by mineral and hydrocarbon exports, because most of the economic blocs have proposed measures to reduce the use of these fuels and if the country does not align itself with these measures and does not encourage the growth of other productive sectors, it could experience a deep economic crisis in the medium term.

One issue of great relevance is the energy transitionColombia must engage in a serious discussion to change its consumption matrix, including renewable energy sources and, in addition, with the duty to reduce its contribution to the international inventory of polluting emissions due to its export of oil and coal. This is in harmony with the climate change agenda that demands urgent action by all states to curb an environmental catastrophe in the coming decades, the need to protect water sources and nature, and the importance of conserving the livelihoods of communities.

Also, the Agenda in the area of governance sets out measures to promote dialogue between the nation and the territories, to reach agreements on a fairer development model, and proposes strategies to include citizen participation in public policy decisions, with actions to guarantee transparent rules of the game for all stakeholders interested in contributing to the country’s development.

Finally, this Agenda proposes a transition approach with a time horizon of ten to fifteen years, understanding that it is not possible to change the extractivist economic approach overnight. Therefore, progressive measures must be included so as not to generate a negative impact on the State’s income and on the territories that depend on mining and hydrocarbons. It also calls for the implementation of institutional, regulatory and policy changes that must be implemented, carried out and ensure their continuity.

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This document will be presented at an event called Fair and Sustainable Post Extractivist Transition in Colombia: Challenges and Proposals, which is organized by Foro Región Central, Foro Nacional por Colombia and the School of Finance, Government and International Relations of Universidad Externado de Colombia.

The event will be held next Thursday, September 29th at the Universidad Externado de Colombia: 12th Street # 1 – 17 East from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Registration is available at the following link: https://bit.ly/3U8LBlu (limited capacity).26

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