Neighbors, environmental organizations, and political representatives mobilized this weekend in support of the Luján Environmental Center.
The demonstration started from the town’s open-air landfill and reached the site where the “Laudato Si” Environmental Center is being constructed.
The gathering, led by the Assembly for the Environmental Center (ApeCA), aimed to raise awareness about the request to resume a halted project since 2023, despite its advanced stage of completion.
Recently, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of resuming the work and the sanitation of the landfill. What happened.
Luján Environmental Center: the neighbors’ demand
What is happening with the environmental center.
With the slogan “No to smoke, yes to the Environmental Center,” the day included a walk, the reading of a collective statement, and a symbolic tree planting.
The gesture aimed to reaffirm the commitment to public health, dignified work, and environmental protection.
The construction of the Environmental Center, promoted by the municipality of Luján and partially financed with international resources, is halted by a precautionary measure filed by a small group of neighbors.
Despite having favorable rulings from the Federal Chamber of San Martín and the Supreme Court, authorizing the project’s continuity, the national government has not yet ordered its resumption.
ApeCA points out that this infrastructure is essential to definitively eliminate the open-air landfill, reduce pollution, and provide formal working conditions for urban recyclers who currently work in precarious conditions.
An alternative proposal that raises concerns
Instead of completing the Environmental Center, the Government proposed establishing a waste transfer center.
However, they have not yet disclosed its location or presented environmental impact studies. According to the mobilization organizers, this alternative does not address the root of the problem and delays an urgent solution.
Community support and call to action
The weekend’s gathering reflected broad social support for the Laudato Sí project. Participants included residents from different neighborhoods, teachers, students, informal workers, local officials, and legislators.
The activity concluded with a quote from Pope Francis: “No one is saved alone,” as a reminder of the collective commitment facing the climate and social crisis.
A strategic project for the environment and the community
The issue of the Luján landfill.
The Laudato Si Environmental Center was conceived as an integral solution to the historical problem of waste management in Luján.
In addition to closing the open-air landfill, the project includes infrastructure for separation, recycling, and safe final disposal, with spaces designed for labor inclusion and environmental care.
The halt in construction raises concerns not only for environmental setbacks but also for missing an opportunity for structural transformation.
The new center will replace the largest open-air landfill in the province, which has been in existence since the 1970s. Initially located far from the urban area, the demographic growth of Luján (111,000 inhabitants according to the 2022 census) has placed the landfill within the city, causing serious environmental and health problems.
Neighbors denounce that:
- Landfill gases cause spontaneous combustion, producing dense smoke and affecting visibility in the area.
- The deficiency of the sewage system allowed septic trucks to dump waste in the landfill.
- Mobilizations by the environmental assembly have demanded a definitive solution.
