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Exp. 04-003781-0007-CO
OutcomeResultado
The Constitutional Chamber annulled the municipal acts that authorized works at a forested spring in a very high-risk zone, ordering restoration of the forest and demolition of structures.La Sala Constitucional anuló los actos municipales que autorizaron obras en una naciente boscosa en zona de muy alto riesgo, ordenando restaurar el bosque y demoler lo construido.
SummaryResumen
The Municipality of San Ramón granted a water use concession and approved ancillary works at the Río Vargas springhead, located on forested land classified as very high risk by the National Emergency Commission (CNE). The Constitutional Chamber ruled that these municipal acts violated the right to a healthy environment, forest protection, and the precautionary principle. The court annulled the permits, ordered restoration of the forest, demolition of the works, and sanctions against responsible officials, holding that the municipality failed to require an environmental impact assessment, properly weigh forest and water source protection, and enforce Forestry Law restrictions. The decision reinforces the principle of non-reducibility of forest cover and the State's duty to protect water and forest resources over public-interest concessions when they threaten State-owned natural heritage and create severe, irreversible environmental risk.La Municipalidad de San Ramón otorgó una concesión de uso de agua y autorizó obras complementarias en la naciente del Río Vargas, en una zona de bosque clasificada como de muy alto riesgo por la CNE. La Sala Constitucional analiza si la concesión vulnera el derecho a un ambiente sano, la protección de los bosques y el principio precautorio. En su sentencia, la Sala anula los actos municipales que autorizaron tubería y tanque de almacenamiento, al considerar que el municipio no cumplió con su deber de garantizar un ambiente sano, omitió solicitar evaluación de impacto ambiental y no ponderó adecuadamente la protección del bosque ni las restricciones de la Ley Forestal. La resolución ordena restaurar la cobertura boscosa, demoler las obras realizadas y sancionar a los funcionarios involucrados. Este caso ilustra la aplicación del principio de irreductibilidad del bosque y la responsabilidad estatal de proteger los recursos hídricos y boscosos, incluso frente a concesiones de interés público, cuando se afecta patrimonio natural del Estado y se impone un riesgo ambiental severo e irreversible.
Key excerptExtracto clave
In this case, the Chamber confirmed that the administrative acts of the respondent Municipality authorized the construction of works that directly and irreversibly affected a water spring located within a forested area, classified by the National Commission for Risk Prevention and Emergency Response (CNE) as a very high risk zone (...) the Public Administration, in compliance with the Constitution and the Law, has the duty to protect, conserve, and guarantee natural resources, and must therefore adopt a precautionary, preventive, and tutelary approach to the environment that prevents harm before it occurs. Consequently, the appeal is GRANTED in its entirety.En el presente caso, la Sala pudo constatar que efectivamente, los actos administrativos del Ayuntamiento recurrido autorizaron la construcción de obras que afectaron de manera y directa e irreversible una naciente de agua ubicada dentro de un área boscosa, catalogada por la Comisión Nacional de Prevención de Riesgos y Atención de Emergencias (CNE) como una zona de muy alto riesgo (...) la Administración Pública, en cumplimiento de la Constitución y de la Ley, tiene el deber de proteger, conservar, y garantizar los recursos naturales, por lo que le corresponde adoptar un enfoque precautorio, preventivo y tutelar del ambiente, que impida, antes de que se produzcan, las lesiones al medio natural. En consecuencia, se declara CON LUGAR el recurso, en todos sus extremos.
Pull quotesCitas destacadas
"la Administración Pública, en cumplimiento de la Constitución y de la Ley, tiene el deber de proteger, conservar, y garantizar los recursos naturales, por lo que le corresponde adoptar un enfoque precautorio, preventivo y tutelar del ambiente"
"the Public Administration, in compliance with the Constitution and the Law, has the duty to protect, conserve, and guarantee natural resources, and must therefore adopt a precautionary, preventive, and tutelary approach to the environment"
Considerando sobre el derecho a un ambiente sano y el principio precautorio
"la Administración Pública, en cumplimiento de la Constitución y de la Ley, tiene el deber de proteger, conservar, y garantizar los recursos naturales, por lo que le corresponde adoptar un enfoque precautorio, preventivo y tutelar del ambiente"
Considerando sobre el derecho a un ambiente sano y el principio precautorio
"La Municipalidad recurrida incumplió su deber de proteger el ambiente y los recursos naturales (...) al haber omitido el deber de solicitar la evaluación de impacto ambiental"
"The respondent Municipality breached its duty to protect the environment and natural resources (...) by failing to request an environmental impact assessment"
Constatación del incumplimiento municipal
"La Municipalidad recurrida incumplió su deber de proteger el ambiente y los recursos naturales (...) al haber omitido el deber de solicitar la evaluación de impacto ambiental"
Constatación del incumplimiento municipal
"Se ordena a la Municipalidad de San Ramón (...) restituir al estado anterior las cosas en el área boscosa afectada, demoliendo todas las obras realizadas"
"The Municipality of San Ramón is ordered (...) to restore the previous state of the affected forested area, demolishing all works performed"
Parte dispositiva – Por tanto
"Se ordena a la Municipalidad de San Ramón (...) restituir al estado anterior las cosas en el área boscosa afectada, demoliendo todas las obras realizadas"
Parte dispositiva – Por tanto
Full documentDocumento completo
**Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice** **Ruling Nº 2007-09469** **Docket (Expediente):** 04-003781-0007-CO **Procedure:** Action of unconstitutionality **Petitioner:** Carlos Rafael Elizondo Brenes **Interested party:** Gerardo González Varela, President of the Association for the Integral Development of Esterillos Este (Asociación Pro-Desarrollo Integral de Esterillos Este) **Subject of the challenge:** The petitioner brings an action of unconstitutionality against the Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (Instituto Costarricense de Turismo) N° 67-2004 of August 19, 2004, in which the following resolution was adopted: "To approve the Land Use and Development Regulatory Plan for the Coastal Area of Esterillos, District of Parrita, located in the District of Parrita and the canton of Parrita".
**GROUNDS OF THE ACTION:** Before ruling on the unconstitutionality, the Chamber considers it important to detail the different legal and technical instruments in question, and so it proceeds to note what the file brings together in this regard, especially the report of the Attorney General's Office:
The challenge of this action is the administrative resolution of the ICT Board of Directors; however, it is also linked to other laws and decrees, as follows:
- Law No. 6043 of March 2, 1977, on the Maritime Terrestrial Zone (Zona Marítimo Terrestre, ZMT), and its amendments (Arts. 1 to 46, 68 and 70).
- The Maritime Terrestrial Zone Regulation (Reglamento de la Zona Marítimo Terrestre), Executive Decree No. 7841-P, and its amendments.
- Regulation for the Registration of Conformity of the Master Plan for the Integral Planning of the Osa and Golfito Region (Reglamento para la Inscripción de la Conformidad del Plan Maestro de Ordenamiento Integral de la Región de Osa y Golfito), Executive Decree No. 27794-PLAN-MINAE-TUR.
- Manual of Regulatory Plans, Executive Decree 25721, on Coastal Regulatory Plans.
- Regulations for the Environmental Impact Assessment (Evaluación de Impacto Ambiental, EIA), Executive Decree No. 25705-MINAE.
- Land Use, Management, and Soil Conservation Law No. 7779, and its Regulation.
- National Emergencies and Risk Prevention Law No. 7914, and its Regulation.
- Organic Law of the Environment No. 7554.
- Forestry Law (Ley Forestal) No. 7575.
- General Health Law No. 5395.
- Law on the Delivery of the Area of the Las Baulas National Marine Park No. 7524.
- Municipal Code, Law No. 7794.
- Regarding the jurisprudence of this Chamber, the petitioner cites the principles stated in Ruling No. 4654-2003 of 14 hours 40 minutes on May 28, 2003. It should also be noted that, during the processing of the Action of Unconstitutionality, the petitioner essentially reiterates the grounds of his action based on the arguments set forth in said ruling, indicating that it would supposedly support his claims.
**Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice** **Ruling Nº 2007-09469** **Docket (Expediente):** 04-003781-0007-CO **Procedure:** Action of unconstitutionality **Petitioner:** Carlos Rafael Elizondo Brenes **Interested party:** Gerardo González Varela, President of the Association for the Integral Development of Esterillos Este (Asociación Pro-Desarrollo Integral de Esterillos Este) **Subject of the challenge:** The petitioner brings an action of unconstitutionality against the Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (Instituto Costarricense de Turismo) N° 67-2004 of August 19, 2004, in which the following resolution was adopted: "To approve the Land Use and Development Regulatory Plan for the Coastal Area of Esterillos, District of Parrita, located in the District of Parrita and the canton of Parrita".
**GROUNDS OF THE ACTION:** Before ruling on the unconstitutionality, the Chamber considers it important to detail the different legal and technical instruments in question, and so it proceeds to note what the file brings together in this regard, especially the report of the Attorney General's Office:
The challenge of this action is the administrative resolution of the ICT Board of Directors; however, it is also linked to other laws and decrees, as follows:
- Law No. 6043 of March 2, 1977, on the Maritime Terrestrial Zone (Zona Marítimo Terrestre, ZMT), and its amendments (Arts. 1 to 46, 68 and 70).
- The Maritime Terrestrial Zone Regulation (Reglamento de la Zona Marítimo Terrestre), Executive Decree No. 7841-P, and its amendments.
- Regulation for the Registration of Conformity of the Master Plan for the Integral Planning of the Osa and Golfito Region (Reglamento para la Inscripción de la Conformidad del Plan Maestro de Ordenamiento Integral de la Región de Osa y Golfito), Executive Decree No. 27794-PLAN-MINAE-TUR.
- Manual of Regulatory Plans, Executive Decree 25721, on Coastal Regulatory Plans.
- Regulations for the Environmental Impact Assessment (Evaluación de Impacto Ambiental, EIA), Executive Decree No. 25705-MINAE.
- Land Use, Management, and Soil Conservation Law No. 7779, and its Regulation.
- National Emergencies and Risk Prevention Law No. 7914, and its Regulation.
- Organic Law of the Environment No. 7554.
- Forestry Law (Ley Forestal) No. 7575.
- General Health Law No. 5395.
- Law on the Delivery of the Area of the Las Baulas National Marine Park No. 7524.
- Municipal Code, Law No. 7794.
- Regarding the jurisprudence of this Chamber, the petitioner cites the principles stated in Ruling No. 4654-2003 of 14 hours 40 minutes on May 28, 2003. It should also be noted that, during the processing of the Action of Unconstitutionality, the petitioner essentially reiterates the grounds of his action based on the arguments set forth in said ruling, indicating that it would supposedly support his claims.
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