Río Negro has once again placed a key productive activity in the Southern Region under environmental review. Technical teams from the Secretariat of Environment and Climate Change carried out routine inspections at diatomite processing plants in Ingeniero Jacobacci, with the aim of reviewing how the facilities operate and how they comply with current regulations.
The intervention is part of a permanent provincial oversight framework. The focus was not on stopping the activity, but on organizing its development: checking operating conditions, assessing environmental management practices and supporting improvements in a sector considered strategic for the local economy.
During the visits, inspectors reviewed the general condition of the sites, internal order, cleanliness of the facilities, storage areas, maintenance sectors and spaces used for material storage. Waste management was also examined, one of the most sensitive issues for any plant linked to industrial or mining processes.
As a result of the inspections, the teams issued technical recommendations to strengthen good environmental practices. The points raised include better classification and disposal of waste, improved organization of storage areas and the adjustment of procedures related to special and hazardous waste.
The Province seeks to frame these controls as part of a policy that balances production with environmental protection. In the case of diatomite, oversight aims to ensure that mining activity advances with higher standards while taking into account its territorial, labor and economic impact in Ingeniero Jacobacci and its surrounding area.
The Secretariat of Environment and Climate Change thus sustained a line of direct presence in the territory: inspecting, advising and requiring regulatory compliance. Río Negro's challenge is to turn that monitoring into a routine capable of preventing deterioration, improving processes and ensuring that productive opportunities do not compromise natural resources.
