Due to the confirmation of industrial pollution, the Water Authority (ADA) of the Buenos Aires province ordered the total and preventive closure of the Atanor company premises in San Nicolás, confirming a serious case of contamination along the banks of the Paraná River.
This drastic measure was taken after verifying the complaints from the local community, the Environmental Forum (FOMEA), and Greenpeace.
Atanor is the only producer and formulator of Atrazine in the Mercosur; in addition, wetting agents are synthesized and herbicides are formulated based on 2,4-D Acid, 2,4-DB Acid, Ethylhexyl Ester of 2,4-D Acid, Butyl Esters of 2,4-DB, MCPA, Dicamba, Imazetapir, S-Metolachlor, Fomesafen, Clethodim, and insecticides.
Atanor Plant in San Nicolás. Photo: Greenpeace[/caption>
Conclusive laboratory results confirming industrial pollution
Official laboratory analyses detected high levels of herbicides such as glyphosate, atrazine, and the banned chlorpyrifos, as well as toxic compounds like phenols and heavy metals, including arsenic, lead, and chromium.
It was found that Atanor was discharging these industrial effluents through a duct authorized only for sewage waste, in violation of the National Law on Hazardous Waste.
This is another example of “repeated” cases of pollution reported by residents and organizations.
As a result of this closure due to industrial pollution, the company Atanor announced a process of relocation of its operation, but it generated strong rejection by announcing its intention to maintain a logistic center for hazardous products on the same closed premises.
Fabián Maggi, lawyer for the residents, was adamant in stating that the company “must take responsibility for the huge environmental liability generated before any relocation.”
Water Authority’s Actions
The Water Authority has already ordered Atanor to seal the industrial duct within 24 hours and submit a schedule for the dismantling of the waste treatment plant.
It is important to note that Atanor had already been convicted in 2023 for pollution, and in March 2024, it suffered the explosion of a reactor.
Recently, on June 9, an unauthorized new discharge of liquid effluents was detected, discharged directly onto the natural terrain through a clandestine pump.
Greenpeace warned about the seriousness of these practices, stating that the company “persists in its illegal practices, ignores judicial rulings, and puts both the environment and public health at risk.”
The residents and their legal representatives are firm in their position of not accepting the installation of a logistics hub for agrochemicals next to a neighborhood and across from a school, describing it as “criminal.”
