Ushuaia official denies Olivia River contamination claims

David Ferreyra, the Secretary of Environmental, Cultural, and Educational Policies for the Municipality of Ushuaia, has denied claims that the local sanitary landfill is contaminating the Olivia River. Ferreyra stated that water sample analyses conducted in 2026 ruled out the presence of lead in the river.

The official addressed social media claims made by a city council member regarding alleged contamination. Ferreyra clarified that the council member's assertions were based on a 2024 report which found elevated lead levels upstream, but noted that the same report did not link that contamination to the landfill.

According to Ferreyra, a more recent report from January 2026 confirms no contamination exists in tested sectors, including the landfill's guard channel and leachate chambers. He noted that the landfill concessionaire, Agrotécnica Fueguina, is required to perform annual analyses, while the provincial Environment area conducts measurements through the Subsecretariat of Water Resources.