Have you witnessed an environmental injustice but don't know how to report it?

In this article, you will find a complete guide on how to file an environmental complaint!

Everyone has the right and responsibility to report environmental situations that put our health, biodiversity, and the environment at risk. That is why we have created this guide to make it easier to identify situations that can be reported and understand the proper process for doing so.

Where can environmental complaints be filed?

The Integrated System for Processing and Handling Environmental Complaints (SITADA) is Costa Rica’s official platform for submitting and tracking environmental complaints or reports. This system improves the process of reviewing information submitted by citizens and ensures proper follow-up. It also facilitates information management, helping streamline the process of monitoring, handling, and analyzing environmental complaints.

The following link will take you to the SITADA website: https://www.sitada.go.cr/denunciaspublico/. Once there, you can submit a complaint through the “Ingresar su Denuncia” (“Submit Your Complaint”) module.

Steps to follow:

1. Once you click on “Ingresar su Denuncia,” you must select the type of complaint. The system will provide several options to choose from.

2. After selecting the type of complaint, choose the specific type of violation and the affected location by clicking on the magnifying glass icon. You must double-click on the province to display the canton, and then double-click again to display the district.

3. Next, select the entity being reported (the place or organization being reported), the violation address (the exact location where the incident is occurring), and the description of the violation (a specific explanation of what is happening). You can also attach files, such as photographs, as evidence.

4. In the second section, you must enter your personal information: the complainant’s name, identification number, telephone number, address, and email address. If you would like your information to be treated as confidential, select the “Datos Personales Confidenciales” (“Confidential Personal Information”) option. To finish, simply click “Denunciar” (“Submit Complaint”).

   
   

What situations can I report as an environmental complaint?

There are many situations that can be reported, including some that we may not initially realize qualify as environmental violations. These range from illegal activities affecting forests and biodiversity to construction and agricultural activities. Below is a list of some of the most common situations:

• Tree cutting or logging

• Suspicious earth-moving activities

• Pollution caused by odors, excessive smoke emissions, or the improper disposal of hazardous waste

• Destruction of mangroves

• Deliberately caused forest fires

• Illegal hunting of wildlife

• Illegal capture, sale, or possession of wild animals

• Extraction of coral or protected marine resources

• Damage or impacts to water resources

• Discharge of untreated wastewater

• Fuel or chemical spills

• Construction or other activities affecting protected areas or biological corridors

• Improper use of agrochemicals that contaminate water or soil

• Illegal mining

  
  

If you are unsure whether a particular situation can be reported, you can contact your local municipality, the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA), the Ministry of Health, or the Administrative Environmental Tribunal (TAA).

Press Releases. Bicentennial Government. SINAC filed 66 environmental complaints with the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

What are the requirements for filing an environmental complaint?

Any person of legal age can file an environmental complaint. However, you should make sure you have the following information:

• Your identification document and personal information so that you can be contacted

• A description of the environmental damage

• If you have photographs or videos, you can attach them as evidence, although they are not required to file a complaint

• The exact location of the incident

• Any information you may have about the person or place being reported, as this can be very helpful

  
  

What happens after I file an environmental complaint?

After you submit the complaint through the SITADA website, the system automatically assigns it an identification number. You can use this number to check the status of your complaint in the future. Once the environmental complaint has been reviewed, it is referred to the appropriate authority or department for investigation of the reported facts.

Finally, once the investigation and subsequent proceedings have been completed, the complainant (you) will be automatically notified, provided that you have provided an email address. If the procedure requires it, the parties may be summoned to a private oral hearing, where the members of the tribunal hear the evidence presented by the parties before issuing their decision.

The parties may reach a settlement and submit it to the tribunal for consideration, after which the tribunal will determine whether the settlement can be approved. In addition, based on the information collected and technical reports, the Administrative Environmental Tribunal (TAA) may issue precautionary measures or other types of rulings regarding the case. Finally, the length of the process varies depending on the complexity of the case and may take anywhere from several months to more than two years.

References

1. Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía (MINAE). SITADA. https://www.minae.go.cr/tramites/sitada-denuncias.aspx 

2. Sistema Integrado de Trámite y Atención de Denuncias Ambientales (SITADA). https://www.sitada.go.cr/denunciaspublico/ 

3. Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos. La ruta de la denuncia ambiental. https://inec.cr/wwwisis/documentos/INEC/Medio%20Ambiente/Denuncias%20Ambientales/Manual%20para%20denuncias%20ambientales.pdf