In order to comply with Colombian law, Regional Autonomous Corporation of La Guajira, conducted by the Program Monitoring Air Quality, para determinar el grado de contaminación o aporte de material particulado por parte de las empresas explotadoras de carbón, transportation and other human activities capable of generating particles; to establish itself controls implemented by mining companies, are meeting the objectives or whether it is necessary to strengthen them.

for the year 2011 a total of 2064 filters, at Hatonuevo stations, Barrancas, Rock, Chancleta, Patilla, Los Remedios, Provincial, Papayal, Rabbit, Las Casitas, Cuestecitas and Fonseca. During the entire sampling period, coal exploitation and transportation activity occurred., the same as vehicular traffic on the uncovered road that connects Hatonuevo with the companies that extract the mineral; In addition, due to the effects of the La Niña phenomenon, precipitation was recorded for much of the year..

According to the results of the studies, during 2011, There was no significant contribution of particle emissions from coal mining companies., which did not affect the air quality in the aforementioned period.

“Although the Total Suspended Particles (PST) They were far below the norm and they do not harm human health, It is important that the necessary corrective measures be taken by the mineral exploitation companies to have efficient control of them., especially in the dry season, What are the increases in irrigation and their frequency?, mainly in those access roads to the upper part of the waste material disposal sites and the internal high circulation roads of both mines and in the Hatonuevo road corridor. – "Caypa", indicated Arcesio Romero Pérez, General Manager Corpoguajira.

According to the information provided by Corpoguajira officials, stations like Barrancas, Provincial y Las Casitas, they approached the norm, Therefore, operational strategies must be established such as suspending the dumping of sterile material in those sites very close to the populations object of this analysis., as has been reiterated in the recommendations of the monitoring visits carried out to the companies exploiting the mineral in the region.

The overall decrease in concentration recorded in the year 2011 compared to that of 2010 was of the order of 38% and was mainly due to the heavy downpours recorded during much of the year due to the effects of the La Niña phenomenon., to the controls implemented by the coal mining companies located in the jurisdiction and to the recommendations given by Corpoguajira in the environmental monitoring visits carried out in the two mines..

Meanwhile, the results of acute respiratory infections of the year 2011, compared to those of 2010, reported by the Ministry of Health of La Guajira, They point out that there is a decrease in the results in the populations of Fonseca, Barrancas and Hatonuevo, which has a correspondence or agreement with the air quality results reported during the previous year.