Business
Chile files environmental charges against Anglo American copper mine
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
By Fabian Cambero
SANTIAGO (Reuters) -Chile’s environmental regulator has filed four charges against the major Los Bronces copper mine, controlled by Anglo American, for noncompliance with environmental permits, the agency said on Monday.
The charges could carry a fine of nearly 17 billion pesos ($17.17 million), according to the Superintendency of the Environment, or SMA.
Los Bronces is one of Chile’s biggest copper mines with output of 255,000 metric tons last year, as well as a key project for Anglo American, which has been a takeover target of larger rival BHP.
Anglo American said in a statement that it was analyzing the accusations to determine its next steps.
One of the charges was deemed “very serious,” the highest of three offense levels, for noncompliance dating back to a 2014 sanction.
At the time, the SMA found that Anglo American Sur, the local unit that operates Los Bronces, failed to resolve acid drainage at the Esteriles Donoso tailings deposit, designed to hold mine waste.
“The company has not implemented a definitive solution … it constitutes a repetition of acts previously sanctioned,” the SMA said.
The tailings deposit is not currently in use, Anglo American said, stating that in October it submitted a request for an environmental permit to fix the issue.
The regulator also filed two charges in the mid-level “serious” category. One was against Anglo American for not designing a mitigation system for acid waters collected downstream of the Esteriles deposit, and another for not taking measures to control seepage in Las Tortolas tailings dam.
The miner said it is “working to optimize the hydraulic barrier approved by the regulator to improve seepage control.”
The SMA also found that Anglo American had not reported to the agency complete data related to water and tailings, a violation it categorized as “minor.”
The miner has 15 days to present a mitigation program, and 22 days to contest the charges.
The SMA earlier this month also filed three charges against Anglo American for violations at its El Soldado copper mine in the Valparaiso region.
($1 = 989.9000 Chilean pesos)
(Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon and Fabian Cambero in Santiago; Editing by Kylie Madry and Matthew Lewis)
A copper mine is a site where copper ore is extracted from the earth. Copper is a valuable metal used in various industries, including electrical and construction.
A fine is a monetary penalty imposed on individuals or companies for violating environmental laws or regulations. It serves as a deterrent against noncompliance.
Acid drainage is the outflow of acidic water from metal mines or coal mines. It can lead to significant environmental damage if not properly managed.
A mitigation program is a set of actions designed to reduce or eliminate adverse environmental impacts resulting from a project or activity.
Explore more articles in the Business category
