According to the latest total cost of power lines about 2 000 kilometers long that would go from Cochrane (in the Aysen region) to Santiago to transmit energy HidroAysén (and eventually Southern Energy) plans injected to the central exceed U.S. $ 3,800 million [1].
respectable figure which rises considerably to add the $ 3,200 million projected by the first electricity for its five dams on the Baker and Pascua rivers [2], and the $ 733 million considered by the second to dam the river Crow [3] . A few weeks ago
Society Endesa and Colbun, which in 2008 created the Air Aysén society in parallel with studies that tended to December 31, 2009 led by Transelec contract [4], gave some clues about the final route to connect the Patagonia SIC, which presented during the third quarter of 2011 [5]. At the time the company said essentially the effort to plunge into the sea 160 kilometers from Puerto Montt and Chaiten [6] and the intention of minimizing the maximum, in the section that would be on the surface, the visual intervention area between " Cochrane and Chaiten. There are several variants, depending on costs, logistics and environmental impact. This also has to do with avoiding the visibility of power lines. What we have seen in the regional interest is that the towers look as little as possible, given the scenic value is the area, "said the opportunity Daniel Fernandez, executive vice president HidroAysén [7].
It is in this last statement of intent, a commitment to minimize the visual impacts in Patagonia, where a subject is no less obvious. Although the company avoids discussing in detail the layout submitted yet, has not clarified that the proposed five dams under evaluation in August 2008 [8] and includes 178 kilometers of power lines, towers 70 meters and 85 meters clear strip (with an estimated 350 meters between each tower), fully crossed from south to north Capitán Prat Province Aysen [9], corresponding to one third of the regional territory.
is the tendency of intra-regional connection of the three dams on the Pascua and Baker both of which would collect the current from the generator reservoir to deliver the continuous conversion plant to plant height Baker 1 , opposite the confluence of Baker with Chacabuco. The idea is that since this sector split the line that would bring electricity to North (empalmaría the SIC at the height of the tunnel The Prado), which is the project would be presented next year.
In the studio today and in evaluation HidroAysén not raise the possibility of burying power lines as a way to mitigate the visual impact of pylons. Even in two tranches wiring cross over the Camino Longitudinal Austral, at the height of the Rio Grande and the river Barrancoso, hitting a route known worldwide for its outstanding natural features and the daily The Guardian defined it as one of the "America's five best road to travel", which allows you to explore "the land that time forgot. The Southern Highway will take you through a thousand miles through ancient forests, glaciers and fjords "says the prestigious journal [10]. Hence the question that arises before the true interest of HidroAysén to "avoid the visibility of power lines," considering that the schemes of environmental impact studies show that more than 30 miles towers and stringing flanquearían evident as the iconic path .
The route not listed
explains the coordinator of the Citizens Coalition for Aysen Life Reserve, Peter Hartmann, "the path would go along the right bank of the river between the central Easter Easter 1 and 2 (0.1 and. 2) 400 m tall. " Then, in the area of \u200b\u200bSan Vicente would be diverted to the north by the hills of the eastern shore of Lake Quetro to about 900 meters, crossing the Rio Grande valley to ascend the valley of the River Road and Lake Balboa to Step River. " Hereinafter "the pass to cross the estuary The Gathering and then to Lake Vargas sector, which continue along the Austral Road about 500 meters, crossing the river near the bridge Nadis and then along the eastern edge of the road across the river valleys to the substation near the confluence of Baker-nadis. " 
Points leader since there "continue the path through the hills to the east shore of Lake Tacay (300 to 600 meters high), across the valley two miles Baker and up the hill plateau Cola de Leon at an altitude of one thousand meters down the hills to the converter station. " "The joint Baker 2 coming from the south bank of the dam across the Nadis at the height of the ravine and then to the substation," he explains.
laying According to this track would be visible from the southern section of Highway between Rio Bravo and Pascua "in a landscape of first order," both sides of the nadis, in a landscape valuable " "From Cochrane Road to the north" and "would be from the Baker River in the River Colony upward priority for the tourism sector in the Regional Plan of Territorial and very high value" points Hartmann.
addition, "the line between the valley of the Cologne nadis and go parallel to the walking trail between the lakes Bertrand and Cochrane over San Carlos, historic route opened by the Boundary Commission in 1901, then used major concessions livestock and is a serious candidate for heritage route "he says.
"To all this we must add the path (with stretched and towers) to 72 kilometers running from the center of the Falls (near Cochrane) to Baker 2. We are speaking, then, two strips parallel to clearcutting that would total 105 meters wide, "resume.
This would, in practice, a real "air siege" to consider alternative energy 6 cables that emit 54 decibels (dB) of noise, which in some sections would add the lines from the central Salto. For reference, in urban areas are allowed 55 dB from 7 to 21 hours and 45 dB from 21 to 7 pm [11]. For rural areas the rule states that "the corrected sound pressure levels obtained from the emission source fixed station noise, measured at the site where the recipient may not exceed background noise by 10 dB (A) or [12].
effects on biodiversity
In Chile there is no knowledge (and therefore concern) finished the impact of high voltage power lines on wildlife and nature in general, but there are specific studies on the effect of habitat fragmentation of open area can produce in typical forest species, which in some cases are unable to cross a road, experts say. Still part of the population has been assumed that the wiring would be inseparable from the urban landscape (and modernity) and as large cities are crossed by thousands of meters of cables is considered a necessary evil, which could not escape the most remote and natural. Moreover if the decision makers live in highly artificialised.
A clear example is what happens to the birds, the main impacts translate into real risk of colliding with the structures or die electrocuted. Therefore, in countries such as Spain prepared a special legislation on the subject that prohibits surface power lines within national parks and also the distances over two miles of wetlands or areas concentration of birds. Also determined to assess their impact depending on the density of flocks regularly and, if necessary, requires the use of elements to avoid clashes [13].
The issue is not minor. Valenzuela said Pilar www.aveselectricidad.cl site "every year thousands of birds die in the world of the collision product and electrocution with power lines, and in many cases the primary cause of death, threatening the survival of many species [ 14].
The risk to the different species of birds are varied. In terms of shock affects the distance between drivers and their isolation, characteristics of the insulators, the arrangement of poles and towers, the shape of the anchor support, and type of substations. The collision risk increases in the presence of guards or guard wires [15], which are the ones at the top of transmission towers and act as lightning rods, which are the birds to take flight to exceed the other cables, the main cause of impacts. In Chile there are no studies of the incidence of collision but did have information about what happens in particular with condors, swans and ducks [16].
In Spain, according to the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF, for its acronym in English), accidents with power lines are the leading cause of unnatural mortality of geese and other birds of prey, coming to cause the death of some "25,000 birds, and many of them endangered species" [17].
On this particular EIA HidroAysén slogan that "the collision of wildlife against the cable guard and the driver of high voltage power lines can be a problem for some habitats and species, the birds, for the latter, most affected. " To it in mitigation measures proposed as the "identification of sections of power lines associated with areas of concentration of birds within the area of \u200b\u200binfluence PHA direct "and" marking power lines to enhance visibility, especially cable guard with some kind of flight deterrent device called "salvapájaros' (balls, buoys, fins, coils, lamps and night caution tape neoprene), in areas where it has been verified high levels of concentration of birds. "
This mitigation measure can impact on reducing the occurrence of the problem but never removes it, being always more important to consider this aspect in the definition of the route, experts say. The effects of clearance in the connectivity of wildlife can be lessened by leaving vegetation thickets to permit the transit of the species impacted.
Annex A theme is security. The United States has reported that 25% of outages are attributable to bird collision with power lines and a study by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics USA (IEEE, for its acronym in English) recorded that "86% of the substations reported the birds as a major problem to be solved" [18].
human health effects
Aysen Region in the general population has not weighed the potential impacts and economic landscape of this tendency, nor its effects on biodiversity and human health.
Regarding the latter, in 1989 the Office of Technology Assessment U.S. Congress issued a report which notes that "for nearly two decades, there has been some concern about the effects of electric and magnetic fields produced by health lines transmission. Recent studies have reinforced this concern. The results of research in the health area are still preliminary and inconclusive, but a growing number of studies suggest that under certain circumstances, including electric and magnetic fields can produce relatively weak biological changes "[19]. Environmental Protection Agency of the country's slogan in 1998 "a group of experts from the National Institute of Health National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences assessed the effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields of extremely low frequency, which is in homes near power lines. Based on studies on the incidence of childhood leukemia in a large number of households, the researchers found that the energy fields of the magnetic lines are a possible cause of cancer "[20].
A study by Maria Feychting and Anders Ahlbom of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, found that " Children exposed to fields of 2 milligauss were three times more risk (leukemia), while those exposed to 3 milligauss showed a fourfold increase. This clear progression makes it difficult to argue that some factor other than exposure to the electromagnetic field has been responsible for the extra cases of leukemia [21].
In Chile, Chilectra has recognized that its power lines do not exceed 18.8 milligauss [22].
After reviewing the EIA of HidroAysén, Peter Hartmann is conclusive: "The impact of this line almost not included in the study. No mention of affected landowners or those living near it, nor irrigation Security. " Today
citizenship of the Aysen region has remained outside the discussion of this tendency, mainly by being more attentive to the path that should occur in 2011. Lines and towers of intra-regional connection, in these more than two years of environmental impact assessment process, the partnership of Endesa and Colbun has subtly avoided mentioning.
[1] "HidroAysén transmission line will cost U.S. $ 3,800 million, 20% more power." See http://diario.elmercurio.cl/2010/10/06/economia_y_negocios/economia_y_negocios/noticias/bb330928-abd4-49f1-832b-58e70cf2b3ea.htm
[2] "HidroAysén: The Confessions of Daniel Fernandez." Power and Business Review, July 2010. See http://www.revistapoderynegocios.cl/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=367:hidroaysen-las-confesiones-de-daniel-fernandez-&catid=123:julio2010&Itemid = 68
[3] "Southern Energy joined Raven Project Addendum to Environmental Assessment System." El Diario de Aysen, October 1, 2010. See http://www.diarioaysen.cl/noticias2.php?id=1156
[4] "Transelec maintain an interest in HidroAysén and already has drawn preliminary Southern Energy line. " Diario El Mercurio, March 22, 2010. See elmercurio.cl / detail / index.asp? Id = {23fc5095-b437-49dc-bdec-3e07ff1cdb1a
} [5] "In the third quarter of 2011 HidroAysén present the environmental study of the line." Diario La Tercera, October 7, 2010. See http://diario.latercera.com/2010/10/07/01/contenido/negocios/10-40803-9-en-el-tercer-trimestre-de-2011-hidroaysen-presentara-el-estudio and environmental-of-la.shtml
[6] Hidroaysén transmission line will affect half of the fields covered. " Portal Emol, October 6, 2010. See emol.com / news / economy / detail / detallenoticias.asp? SecureIDNews = 439931
[7] "In the third quarter of 2011 HidroAysén present the environmental study of the line." Diario La Tercera, October 7, 2010. See http://diario.latercera.com/2010/10/07/01/contenido/negocios/10-40803-9-en-el-tercer-trimestre-de-2011-hidroaysen-presentara-el-estudio and environmental-of-la.shtml
[8] Tab Aysén Hydroelectric Project. " Portal e-seia, www.e-seia.cl/expediente/ficha/fichaPrincipal.php?modo=ficha&id_expediente=3103211
[9] Environmental Impact Studies Art Aysén Hydroelectric Project. http://picasaweb.google.com/aisenreservadevida/ZONASAMENAZADASPORPROYECTOSDEREPRESAS # 5494964731678926722
[10] "Five best ... American Road Trips. " The Guardian, September 13, 2008. See http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2008/sep/13/fivebest.roadtrips
[11] Decree No. 146 of 1997, "establishes emission standards for noise pollution generated from stationary sources, drawn from the review of the emission standard contained in Decree No. 286 of 1984, the Ministry of Health. " General Secretariat of the Presidency, Article 4. See http://www.leychile.cl/Navegar?idNorma=98096&idParte=&idVersion=1998-07-18
[12] Decree No. 146 of 1997, "establishes emission standards annoying noise from stationary sources, drawn from the review of the emission standard contained in Decree No. 286 of 1984, the Ministry of Health. " General Secretariat of the Presidency, Article 5. See http://www.leychile.cl/Navegar?idNorma=98096&idParte=&idVersion=1998-07-18
[13] Bird Collision and Electrocution on Power Lines, by Pilar Valenzuela. " Magazine Chiricoca (Network Birding and Wildlife Chile), September 2009. See http://www.redobservadores.cl/pdf/9/ch_9_part5.pdf
[14] "Proposal for the incorporation of criteria for assessing the risk of collision and electrocution of birds on power line projects in the System of Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA). " Summary, by Pilar Valenzuela. See http://www.aveselectricidad.cl/
[15] "Proposal to Incorporate criteria for assessing the risk of collision and electrocution of birds on power line projects in the System of Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA). " Summary, by Pilar Valenzuela. See http://www.aveselectricidad.cl/
[16] Bird Collision and Electrocution on Power Lines, by Pilar Valenzuela. " Magazine Chiricoca (Network Birding and Wildlife Chile), September 2009. See http://www.redobservadores.cl/pdf/9/ch_9_part5.pdf
[17] "The impact of power lines on birds." Portal WWF in Spain. See http://www.wwf.es/que_hacemos/especies/problemas/mortalidad/tendidos_electricos/
[18] "When Birds and Power Lines Collide (When they hit the birds and power lines)." Study of IEEE 1990, cited by Transmission & Distribution World Portal. See http://tdworld.com/overhead_transmission/power_birds_power_lines/
[19] "Biological effects of electric fields and magnetic." Technological Studies Office of the United States, May 1989. See http://www.princeton.edu/ ~ ota/disk1/1989/8905/890501.PDF
[20] "electric and magnetic radiation from power lines." Environmental Protection Agency Portal U.S.. See http://www.epa.gov/radtown/power-lines.html
[21] "Danger on our heads." Time Magazine, www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0, 9171,158193,00. Html
[22] "Electrosmog: Murderer invisible." Www.lanacion.cl/prontus_noticias/site/artic/20050111/pags/20050111194539.html
