Chile’s environmental regulatory agency announced on Thursday (6) four charges against Canadian mining company Lundin, for a huge crater that appeared in one of its copper mines in the Atacama Desert region in late July.
The most serious infractions are excessive extraction and construction outside environmentally approved zones, and the smallest are related to improper transport of minerals, according to the Superintendence of the Environment (SMA, for its acronym in Spanish). “In addition, large amounts of water began to leak into the mine from places where the company intervened beyond what was considered in the environmental assessment,” said Emanuel Ibarra, the superintendent of the agency.
The crater in Tierra Amarilla, 800 km north of Santiago, is 36.5 meters in diameter and 64 meters deep, and is jointly owned by Lundin Mining Corp, which owns 80% of the land, and Japan’s Sumitomo. Metal Mining and Sumitomo Corp, owners of the remaining 20%.
Lundin has ten working days to appeal or present an action plan to remedy the infractions. If no action is taken, the mining company could be fined more than US$ 13 million (R$ 67.7 million), in addition to running the risk of closing or having its environmental license revoked.
The miner said it is reviewing the allegations and has acted responsibly to mitigate the possible effects of the crater. She said she is still waiting for the final report from the authorities. “The company is convinced, based on the data collected and analyzed to date, that multiple factors influenced the formation of the hole in the terrain at our site,” she said in a statement. “Mining being a relevant activity.”
Marcela Hernando, the minister of mines, told reporters on Friday that the ministry is in talks with the company about the possibility of resuming operations in unaffected parts of the mine, as the affected area will be “completely closed”. Shortly after the crater appeared, a perimeter of 100 meters was created around the site. “We are interested in giving peace of mind to the labor sector and to contracting companies,” she said.
Responsible for over 26% of the global copper supply, Chile is the world’s leading producer of the metal. The share of the global market, however, has already been higher – in 2010, it was 34%, according to the Conselho Mineiro, an association that brings together companies in the sector. Peru, China and the Democratic Republic of Congo are also major producers.
The Latin American country is also a major producer of gold, silver, molybdenum and iron.
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