The General Auditor of the City of Buenos Aires (AGCBA, for its acronym in Spanish) warned about the "low effectiveness" in the environmental inspections of industrial facilities near the Matanza-Riachuelo Basin when evaluating their activity.

The report, approved in 2015, notes that of the 4,500 companies located in the area of influence of the city during 2014, "only 237 actually responded" to the calls of the program.

All this made the audit state that "the effectiveness is low" if we consider that in a universe of approximately 4,500 establishments up to the year 2014, 237 industries responded effectively (172 corresponding to calls by category and 65 of the ‘Buenos Aires produces cleaner’).

The "Call to companies by item" aims to celebrate concrete commitments with industry to put remedial measures in place. Between 2013 and 2014 "338 signatures of which only 172 were convened presented timetables for their work."

Another initiative is the "Buenos Aires produces cleaner" program, although it exists since 2006, "only in 2011 was its legal action framework established." Of those called to participate by the plan up to December 2014, "only 65 companies had responded".

The auditors evaluated the inspections of Environmental Compliance which had to be carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency of the City (APRA), under the Comprehensive Environmental Health Plan (PISA) of the Riachuelo during 2013 and 2014, before the change occurred in 2015, covering the communes four, seven, eight and nine.

APRA, at the time of the report, "was working on adapting its system of records to the new limits stipulated in the modification of the current rule." That process, "becomes difficult, on the one hand, due to the concrete knowledge of establishments with which it works" (APRA deals with 4500 and records ACUMAR include 3400) and, on the other, "the definition of necessary resources, both human and physical."

The Directorate General of Control Agency is responsible for carrying out the controls. Of the 183 employees it has, 50 are inspectors.

During the period assessed by the AGCBA, "6793 inspections were done, 3092 in 2013 and 3701 the following year." As a result of the visits "104 industrial establishments, 53 were closed because they did not meet environmental impact assessments and 63 that did not respect the law governing the production, processing and transportation of hazardous waste."
On the positive side, the Watchdog noted progress in the control carried out by the Agency on establishments defined by ACUMAR as Pollutants. Of the 373 identified by the Basin Authority, "101 were converted, 112 were not transformed but abide by current environmental regulations, 10 were closed, 121 were intimidated and 25 are not active."

Progress was also seen "in the administrative circuit inspections, procedures manuals and protocols for the control of rainwater conduits", among other mechanisms.

"Weaknesses in the integration of reliable data and processes the results obtained from the use, monitoring and environmental control should be timely and incorporated into the decisions of the entity" were found.

With this background, the Audit of the City concludes that "the problems of the basin has a high significance for the Environmental Protection Agency" therefore "greater coordination is expected between different areas, maximizing coordination and cooperation between the parts".