In July 2019, Teck opened a new community-managed air quality monitoring station in the town of Andacollo, Chile, near our Carmen de Andacollo Operations (CdA). The monitoring station is the first of its kind in Chile and is fully managed by the town’s Environmental Panel, giving community members control over real-time, reliable air quality data.
The new air quality monitoring station complements Teck’s existing monitoring network of six stations around Andacollo. The station measures particulate matter (PM) levels, allowing the Environmental Panel to compare data from the new station to data from Teck’s monitoring stations and track progress on air quality management. As part of the project, community members received the necessary training to understand the operation and properly interpret and manage the data.
"This station is a milestone that has not been done before in the region or the country. It is the result of good work and collaboration between the community and Teck and we are very proud of it,” said Ángela Guerra, President of the Organized Community of Andacollo. “It is important to point out that although Teck provided the resources, the community has full control over the administration of the station and we are the ones in charge.”
"This project has positive results because we have continued dialogue with the community and we are identifying and responding to their concerns, with access to real-time air quality information being one of the main concerns," said Paulo Barraza, Community Management Manager, Carmen de Andacollo Operations, Teck.
The new station allows the community to have increased confidence in local air quality information and will help Teck manage and respond to community air quality concerns.
Learn more about our approach to build strong and lasting relationships in the Communities and Indigenous Peoples section of our website.
