REPORT FROM THE CHILEAN OPCC.

The Office for the Protection of the Quality of the Sky of the North of Chile was
created by AURA, CARSO, ESO and CONAMA in the year 2000. Its main
purpose is to provide support for the implementation of the national standard for
the regulation of light pollution (the "Norma Luminica", Decreto Supremo Nº
686/1998, Ministry of Economics).  This is an environmental standard as it is
expected to protect the astronomical quality of the northern Chilean sky. That
particular night sky quality is defined as a natural resource by the environmental
authority.

The main task of the OPCC is to make people of the north of Chile conscious of
both the particular night sky quality and the negative impacts of light pollution. Also
it has to provide support for public agencies in charge of implementing this standard,
mainly municipalities (counties) and the Superintendencia de Electricidad y
Combustibles – SEC. Other tasks of this Office are related with providing technical
advice to regulate upper-hemisphere light emissions by means of better outdoor
lighting designs, light pollution monitoring and legislation improvements, by involving
the astronomical community, the lighting industry, public authorities and the community.

During the last three years the OPCC has been working with municipalities and private
companies, mainly from the mining industry, providing technical assistance, instruction
and diagnosis to fulfill the requirements of the Standard.