MiAmbiente and Chame City hall close Landfil

MiAmbiente and the Chame City Hall carried out the definitive closure of the Macaracas landfill July 31, 2025 due to pollution of the La Villa River.

Waste will be taken to La Chorrera, MiAmbiente reported.

MiAmbiente recalled that for decades, the landfill has had direct impacts on the mangroves of Chame Bay, seriously affecting residents and the ecosystem’s flora and fauna, and harming nearby communities such as La Cresta, Santa Cruz, and Cantera El Tigre due to the constant emission of toxic smoke from the uncontrolled burning of waste, plastic pollution, and leachate contamination.

"For decades, the constant flow of leachate from the decomposition of solid waste has affected the water source, specifically the area’s ravine and the Antón and Caimito rivers (138), as well as the mangrove area, including the flora and fauna of the area," said the Minister of Environment, Juan Carlos Navarro.

For his part, Chame Mayor Francisco León Fu explained that the closure was not an easy decision due to inherited contractual obligations that prevented its immediate implementation.

"Together with the Municipal Council, we are promoting the necessary legal mechanisms to move toward responsible and sustainable waste management. The Chame Mayor’s Office will initiate the corresponding procedures to clean up the landfill site, fulfilling its responsibility to the public health and environmental well-being of the district’s communities," the mayor added.

Starting in August of 2025, solid waste from the Chame district will be transferred to the El Diamante landfill in the La Chorrera district, where it will be treated under current environmental regulations.